Revelations 3: In The Name of The Father
by everfaithful
Summary: Set in the Revelations AU. Years have passed, and the Demon still lurks behind every shadow. Now its time for the Winchesters to take their final stand. If you like this AU check out Revelations one shots by Strange Oblivion.
1. Chapter 1

A/N This piece is part of the Revelations AU. If you havent read Revelations or Lost and Found you may wish to do so before reading this piece. Its a bit of a slow start to set the stage as it happens 16 years later in the Winchesters lives. But dont worry. Our boys are still our boys. No matter how much they have grown.

SPNSPNSPN

Mary Samantha Winchester was a daddy's girl from day one. She had a loving family. Two uncles (sort of three) 4 cousins (almost 6 maybe) and an extended support group that spread across the country. Her best friend was her Aunt Kaylie, even though she wouldn't admit that to anyone approaching her own age, followed closely by a full blood 14 year old boxer named Ginger Bear who limped on all four paws and had to work to climb into the back seat of the ancient Impala.

Sometimes when the weather would turn bad, really bad, her father moved the same way, and Mary worried. Her father was a force of nature in her eyes, invincible like superman and twice as heroic. She loved him with everything she had in her.

Even when he took her car keys.

Even when he grounded her.

Even when she had screamed at him that she hated him and wished he would leave her alone.

Especially then.

Which seemed to be happening more often lately. Ever since she had turned 16. She had been allowed to go out at 16 provided she was the one driving. Which was a distinction she didn't understand. After all wasn't the guy supposed to be the one with the car and the money and the do all the asking and pursuing? But her father seemed to think it was a safety issue or something. Just one more thing she didn't get. Probably would never get. Because for all of the heroic, force of nature, amazing loving man that she knew her father to be, there was a part of him that she would never understand. Unfortunately she was positive that lack of understanding was mutual.

She glared at the door when the knock came. "Go away." She yelled at the door and wrapped herself around the aging dog that shared her bed, and wished she was part of a normal family.

The door opened anyway, and her Uncle Sam poked his head in. "Hey, you got a minute?"

Mary sat up and shrugged.

Sam came in and closed the door. He pulled the computer chair from her desk over to beside the bed. "So, what brought on the fireworks this time?"

"Uncle Sam-" she said in a long suffering not quite whine that Sam knew so well. It didn't surprise him, they had been raised by the same man after all. So he simply raised an eye brow and stared at her waiting for her to start talking. Like her father you couldn't drag any thing out of her she didn't want to give up. Fortunately it was in the nature of teenaged girls to want to share.

"Fine, I was out late last night. I was supposed to be back by midnight but you guys were off on a hunt and I didn't think I would get caught but somehow he knew that I was late and he just assumed that I was out doing something wrong. He doesn't trust me, Sam, he doesn't trust me at all." She said and tossed herself back down on the bed, causing the dog to whine as she was jostled.

"Okay, first off.. if he hadn't trusted you, you would have been waiting in the back seat of the Impala while we were dealing with the ghost." Sam pointed out. "Or spending the night with Kaylie. Second, when we got home at 1 AM you weren't home and we went out looking for you, and then the car was still hot in the driveway at 3 AM when we got back. Doesn't matter what you were doing, you were three hours past curfew. That's not losing track of time that's willfully staying out too late. So yeah. He's pissed. More than that, he's hurt. He trusted you and you abused that trust."

"Of course you're taking his side." She grumbled.

"Nope, merely stating the obvious. And that maybe you might want to go down to the garage and apologize before he beats every car on the block into submission."

"Why should I go apologize?" She exclaimed, sitting up again. "He treated me like a.. a... criminal or something. I fell asleep on the beach, it's not like I was out screwing around, getting into trouble. "

"Don't know how to break it to you kiddo, but you were probably in more danger on the beach than we were in dealing with the poltergeist. You gotta start thinking. Rules are there for a reason. Trust me, your dad isn't big on rules any more than you are."

"Are we talking about the same Dean Winchester?" Mary asked sullenly. "Cause my dad, is big on rules. At least when they have anything to do with me."

"Because he wants you safe. Because he loves you. Like it or not, the world is all about rules. And another thing,even when you don't mean it, telling him you hate him, well that just about rips his heart out, so knock it off. You're getting too old for temper tantrums."

She sighed, and nodded, resting her head on the dogs head for a moment. "Okay, I'll go talk to him."

"Good." Sam told her. "So hurry up, if you two work things out in time you can go to Vigil with me tonight."

"Oh yay. Church. I'm so excited, Uncle Sam. "

"It's not here." He pointed out and reached for her phone when it started to ring. "Oh hey Bobby, how ya feelin' man?"

"Good point." She said and sat up. "Come on Ginger Bear. Let's go see Dad before I have a chance to think about it." Mary grabbed the leash and headed down the stairs, waiting for the aging dog to catch up. She wasn't sure this was such a good idea but it was worth a shot. She hated fighting with him, but she hated not being trusted even more.

She entered the garage a few minutes later, and winced hearing the sound of slamming tools even though her father would never admit that he was slamming them.

"Daddy?" She called out hesitantly.

Three hours late. Three hours. At least she hadn't tried to come up with a sorry excuse like 'I lost track of time' or worse, 'the car broke down.' Three hours. And he was supposed to be 'fine' with that because she was sixteen. If there was ever a time NOT to be fine with that, it was when a girl was sixteen. Because he remembered sixteen year old girls. From the viewpoint of a sixteen or seventeen year old boy.

And damn she looked so much like her mother. And he could remember quite clearly his first thoughts when he first met Chavi. But again, with that 'trust' thing.

The 'I hate you' wasn't a good thing either. Followed by 'I wish Mom was alive!' That one hurt. So Dean did what he always did. Fixed cars, even if he was fixing what he already broke in venting out his temper.

And then, that little voice.

"Yeah." He said with a sigh, coming out from under a car and wiping his hands on a rag. Today was a good day, hot and dry, he moved easily. Shit, was this why his own father was cranky? But Dean's body had been broken so many times, and put together through not quite natural means so many times, there were after effects.

Stiffness.

Arthritis.

Not that he'd ever admit it. Even as he was scarfing down Tylenol.

She looked at her father, and felt like a little girl again. Which was how she was sure he saw her still. "Dad... I'm sorry. You know... for those things that I said." She was, she didn't like hurting him at all. He got that look in his eyes that just ripped her little heart out. She didn't like disappointing him either. He always made such a point of telling her how proud he was of her, whether it was because she knew how to change out a carburator, or when she managed to struggle her grades up to B's from the D's they inevitably wound up being once she got distracted by... whatever the latest distraction was. He knew that it wasn't that she wasn't smart, she just wasn't interested in half of what she was learning in school. So it hurt when he got that look. When he suddenly wasn't proud of her any more. And Mary tended to lash out when she hurt.

"You can't say things like that." Dean said as he cleaned his tools off. "Because life happens,and we don't always like how it happens. Anything you say to anyone could be the last words you ever say to that person." Winchesters knew that too well. Their father's last words to Sam? Would you mind getting me a cup of caffeine? Last words to Dean? Save your brother, or you have to kill him. And Jack, he'd never gotten much in the way of first words, never mind last words.

Which was why Dean made it a point to tell Mary how proud he was of her as often as he could. Because...he was now the age John was when he had died. It hung on his mind, as much as he tried to shove it off. He finished putting his tools away and turned toward his daughter.

"Look, I know rules suck. You're looking at a guy who's broken most of them. Some of them before they were even thought of. I just don't want you to have to go through what I did to learn my lesson." Staring down the death penalty wasn't fun. "I know you're growing up, as much as it causes me nearly physical pain to admit it," he said with a grin, "I know that. I do. Doesn't change the fact that I am your father and I was pretty much put on this earth to protect you."

"Isn't that what you tell Uncle Sam? That you were put on earth to protect him?" She said sheepishly. She had been sheltered in many ways. At least when compared to her father and uncles. Death wasn't something alien to her but the only close death in her life had been her mother and she had never even been held by her. "I wasn't doing anything wrong... other than staying out late. I just wanted to stay longer at the beach. I like it there when no one else is around. And then I fell asleep in the car. "

"Other than staying out late." Dean said with a chuckle. "You were parked on the beach, sleeping. Probably with the windows down, car unlocked, and keys in the ignition. Believe me, in cases like that, it's the human monsters you have to worry about. You want to go to a beach with no one around, ask Ben. I'm sure he knows of a few. But I had one simple rule, in by midnight, and you broke it. It's not that hard a rule. Maybe you didn't mean to, but you still did."

"Why midnight?" She asked, challenging the curfew. "It seems like such an arbitrary time, and I was perfectly safe. It's not like I sleep heavy. I was just snoozing. I would have heard someone if they had come over to the car. " It was a lame attempt, but she had to try. She loved her father, she did, but she was convinced that surely none of her friends had to endure the indignity of a midnight curfew. He was just too strict.

"Okay." Dean said. "I happen to know that Bethany," a friend of Mary's, whose single mother was known to hit on Dean, "has a curfew of ten. Is that better?" Midnight. In some cultures it was the witching hour. In her mother's gypsy culture, it was one o'clock in the morning. Others believed it was three AM. Either way, he wanted her home before either of those.

"No sir." She said, sullenly. "Sorry." She added. "Can we just... get past this being mad at each other thing? I know it doesn't seem like it but... I don't like being angry." She was a teenager and a Winchester. The temper was still in that raging out of control stage and generally her only target was her father. "Maybe do something so I don't have to go to church with Uncle Sam and Kevin." Kevin being Sam's adopted son. They were the same age but he was a little too gung ho on the hunting thing for her taste. Although she supposed if she had lost both of her parents to a demon, she would be too.

Dean had to laugh at that. "Get out of going to church?" He said, laughing. "I don't know, could be a nice grounding. But Sammy would definitely let me have it for using his church as a discipline technique. Which on its own can be entertaining...but okay, we'll think of something else."

"Thank you!" She said. She didn't mind going to mass on Sunday but she had no desire to go on confession night. That whole process made no sense to her. "How did he wind up in church all the time and you and Uncle Jack would rather have root canals than set foot in the place?"

"We're not that bad. We've set foot plenty of times without root canals." Dean pointed out. "Well, Sammy had a...crisis of faith...before you were even born." There were some things he hadn't told his daughter. The yellow eyed demon she knew about. She didn't know the demon's role in Sam's birth though. That was up to Sam to explain if he felt the need. "So he traveled a lot, and met this man named Father Pavel, who was an exorcist. Turned Sammy onto being Catholic. It felt right to him, so he kept up on it."

"Okay. So what shall we do tonight?" Mary asked.

"Well, going to church is out. I'm still shocked the place doesn't burn down whenever I step in it." Dean said with a chuckle. "So, I don't know. We can grab something to eat and go from there."

"Okay... so... when are Sam and Kevin actually moving out. It's gonna be weird not having them around the place anymore. " No matter how much she and Kevin fought, there was genuine affection between them. They were family now. It had taken four years to get the kids to think of themselves as really family, but now they might as well be siblings instead of cousins in some respects.

"Word is by this weekend." Dean said. "Sam's got another pair of kids he's going to go see, and see if he can help them." Much like Sam did with Kevin. "And it is going to be weird. Not to mention quiet." He wasn't sure how he felt about that. His house had never really been quiet.

"More kids huh. Well I guess it makes sense. It would be hard to relate to an adoptive family that couldn't really understand why you were an orphan in the first place." She figured it would be hard enough with out the added complication of having to not say the word Demon or Werewolf or whatever supernatural thing it was out there that destroyed your family. "At least he is finally moving in with Aunt Rachel. Now if he would just ... ask her to marry him cause you know that whole living in sin thing is going to make him nuts after a while."

"I think he's flexible on that point." Dean said with a chuckle, knowing there would be no marriage until Sam had fully banished Jessica from his mind. Not that he thought about her and compared her to Rachel. Just that he saw her on the ceiling, dying in front of him. "Besides, I think he wants to outdo Jack with kids."

"Well... two more in the wings, that would put them at tied. " Mary said shaking her head. "Those two compete a lot, have you noticed that?" She didn't understand why most of it revolved around her father though.

"Noticing it for years." Dean said with a chuckle as he finished cleaning and putting away his tools. "Was surprised you caught on, thought they were a bit better at hiding it."

Mary just gave her father a look. "Please" She said. "Okay... so I will take Ginger Bear home so you can finish up and we can go to dinner. So am I dressing nice or are we talking drippy red meat?"

"Drippy red meat." Dean said. "For you. I like to make sure mine's dead. How I fathered a child who eats her meat raw I will never know. Obviously some weird mutation of genes."

"It's not raw." She said with a laugh. "Besides I would think someone of your advanced age would be more interested in tender meat than shoe leather on a plate." She teased.

"Ouch. Advanced age? Well, the stomach of this advanced aged person likes meat it doesn't have to cook before digesting." He said with a laugh. "Advanced age. Now that one hurt. Go take the dog home, brat."

"See you in a bit, Daddy." She told him, eyes twinkling merrily as she urged the aging dog back out of the garage door, passing Sam as he made his way inside.

"Hey. What are you doing over the next few days?" Sam asked his brother.

"Well, thought I'd weasel my way into the Dallas cheerleaders locker room and show them all a good time, but my daughter just pointed out that I'm of an advanced age and they might kill me with their enthusiasm. So that plan's out the window." Dean said with a chuckle. "Which leaves me with, wow a big fat hole in my schedule. No, I'm not going to a prayer-a-thon with you."

"Dude... we don't do that." He said with a laugh. "That's the Pentecostals next door, but I understand they have a great time." He sighed. "Just got off the phone with Bobby. He fell, busted his hip, and is currently in the hospital with pins in places where there used to be a healthy bone."

"Oh shit." Dean said with a wince. "Broken hip? Damn." Of all the things to bring Bobby Singer down, something as mundane as a broken hip never crossed his mind. "He's not seriously thinking he's going back to his house, is he? you know, where he fell and all? How long was he there before he dragged himself across the floor to a phone to call for help anyway?"

"He pointedly avoided answering that question. But he mentioned being dehydrated. So it was probably a while." Which didn't please Sam at all. Bobby was in his late 70s. Some people could live on thier own into their 90s but usually not those who have lived as hard as Bobby Singer.

"All right then." Dean said. "We'll drive out and tell him he's freaking come back to Texas whether he likes it or not. I figure between the two of us we should be able to browbeat him enough, right?"

"Dude, he was the one person that stood a chance standing up to Dad with a mad on. Not sure he's gonna be an easy sell even in his current condition but that's the plan. He's gonna be there a while so we can probably take off tomorrow. We won't be able to drive him back but we can come up with something."

"Dude, he's in the hospital. With a broken hip. Which means no weapons and limited mobility. Believe me, Dad never had it this easy." Dean said with a laugh. "And if we catch him when he's stoned off pain meds, even better. I don't know, med flight or something. Business has been great, I can completely wing it. Broken hip, damn."

"Kevin and I can clear out my room tonight. It's on the first floor, perfect place for him. We will have to pack up that house of his. That's going to be a nightmare."

"Shit, I forgot about that house of his. Maybe we can enlist Jack. And Kevin and Mary. We're going to need all hands on deck for that one." Dean said with a shake of his head. "Well, remember when Mrs Brown across the street broke her hip?" He said, referencing an old old woman who had lived across the street. Sam was the one who found her, when he went to check on her. "She went to some rehab place, then off to live with her daughter in Florida. It's not like they're going to release Bobby from the hospital and that's it."

"True there will be time to get things taken care of. But damn with all those books we might have to build another room onto the house for them." Sam said with a laugh. "Can't put the man's research materials out of his reach. Trust me you don't want to do that."

"True. He'd hurt himself, then us, to get to them." Dean said. "So tomorrow we'll get going, bright and early. That will give me time to find coverage for the shop."

"Do we pack up the family and go then? Or make arrangements for the kids." It was funny to Sam, their children were teenagers and they made arrangements, when in their own childhood they had been on thier own when still in the single digits.

Dean grinned. "We'll sic Ben on them. He'll love it, even if he'll never admit it. Come on, what's a better babysitter to ensure curfew than a fire demon who can track you?" He said with a chuckle.

Sam laughed. "There is that." Kevin had once had difficulty with Ben because he was a demon, but eventually he realized that it wasn't the same. Ben was just a guy whose father happened to be a demon. He liked the guy now. Generally taking great joy in pestering him. Kevin should have been born a Winchester as far as Sam was concerned.

"So we'll go ask Ben." Dean said. "I'm sure it won't be a problem. He might even have a little fun with it. Then we'll go convince Bobby, and see when he'll be released from the hospital, get a time line on things. But in the meanwhile, I got a date with my daughter. She feels it's okay to be seen in public with me tonight."

"What did you do to rate?" Sam asked. "An hour ago she hated you and said you treated her like a criminal." He laughed a little, remembering such things coming out of his mouth at that age too, just with a little more volume and a lot less running to his room.

"I got her out of vigil tonight." Dean said with an impish smirk. "You'd be surprised how well that goes over. No one except you likes to go on confession night, Sam. Face it, you're the only Catholic among us."

"I don't like it." He admitted. "Just don't like taking any chances. " Sam had ferociously guarded his soul since having it returned to him in nice shiny condition 16 years previous. He had not once willingly used his abilities since that night. Didn't even know if he still had them. Didn't want to know. Visions weren't something he could control. But they weren't as common any more.

Dean laughed. "Sam, if I went to confession, the priest would keel over after he dropped the Bible." He said. "And you know it." His soul wasn't nice and shiny. It was a good soul, but it was also a well used soul. And he knew it. "I think it's best if I stay away from the confessional."

"Wouldn't do you any good anyway, you aren't Catholic for one, and for another absolution works on the principal that you really will try and work on not committing that particular sin again. You...are unrepentant." Sam wasn't exactly a fanatic, no matter how much his family liked to tease him about it. If he were he wouldn't be moving in with his girlfriend or taking in the occasional striptease at Ben's club. He was just... careful.

"Okay, you're right. But I'm one handsome unrepentant sinner." He said with a grin. "Come on, let's go see if we can bribe Ben with something."

"Another heater?" Sam said. "It's only 110 in his house." He said as he started toward the Car.

"Ooh there's an idea." Dean said. "Hey, he's the one who said he visited Hell once, and it wasn't hot enough for him. I swear he's one whacked out demon." He shook his head as he slid behind the wheel of the Impala, still His Car. "Did you think twenty years ago we'd be bribing a demon to watch our kids?"

"20 years ago I didn't think we would have kids." Sam said with a laugh. He had wanted them, wanted to make a family with Jessica and settle down, but part of him had always known that was a nice dream and nothing more. Even when he was going through the motions at Stanford.

"I didn't think I'd live to see thirty." Dean said with a laugh. "Amazing how the time flies, isn't it? Thank god it does, because if it didn't I'd be bald from tearing my hair out."

"I give you two years with that hair of yours. Mary is old enough to date now." Sam teased. He knew how Dean felt about his daughter and boys. He found it hilarious.

"Don't even start." Dean grumbled. "She's not old enough to date, I don't care what you, or Kaylie or anyone else says. We'll see how Jack feels on the subject when Abby gets up there."

"What, you want her first experience with dating to be when she is at college and no where near you ? Think about it." Sam said.

"Do you really think I was born yesterday?" Dean asked. "The question should really be do I want her first experience that I KNOW about to be at college or whatever. Please, I'm not an idiot. I just choose to confront her only when she really tests the limits of curfew." He'd grown up in a warzone between parent and child. He'd learned to pick his battles, something John never did.

Sam laughed and shook his head. "Don't encourage the sneaking, Dude. Cause it did such wonders for my and Dad's relationship when I did it."

"Ah, see, that's because Dad and you had a blow up after each and every time." Dean said. "I've learned. I pick my battles. Besides, Mary and I are completely different than you and Dad. First off, she's fairly normal, for what it's worth."

"Nice." Sam said with a grin on his face. "I'm just saying she is going to date whether you want her to or not. Better that you know who she is with and when. "

"Dude, the poor guy will have to make it through me. Then you. Then Jack. And if he's still alive, Ben. And if he's still able to crawl, I bet Bobby can finish him off by then. Really, no worries." Dean said with a laugh. "You got it easy, you've got a boy."

"All of that just to take a girl out to get a burger and fries, maybe a movie?" Sam shook his head. "And no, having a boy isn't easy. It's just different. Sadly Kevin is a bit... inept with girls. Hoping he grows out of that before college. "

"He should. You did." Dean teased. "He'll be fine, once he gets over the whole awkward teen thing. Give him time." He pulled up in front of Ben's club. "God I hope he's here, because I really don't want to go to his house."

"It's okay to not touch the thermostat." Sam said. "You can handle the heat for 5 minutes." He teased.

"Yeah right." Dean said as his cell phone rang. "Hello. Oh hey Ben. Yeah, we're at the club right now, me and Sam. Okay. We'll be right in I guess." He said and hung up. "That was Ben, he's in the club, because Fate loves me today, and he wants to talk to us. Why am I scared?" He said with a laugh as Jack pulled up. "Ooh looks like someone else got the demon page too."

"Last time he called us like this we were supposed to help with auditioning strippers. Rachel nearly killed me after that one."

"Hey," Jack said. "Any idea what it is he wants?"

"Hopefully it's to audition strippers." Dean said with a boyish grin. "I don't know what problem you two had, I had a ball!" Dean said with a chuckle as they walked through the bar to the back where Ben kept his office.

"Thanks guys." Ben said as the three brothers came in. "I'm going to die."

Jack paused and looked at Ben, frowning. "Excuse me?" He asked. He had thought Ben had gotten past that death wish thing. He seemed to like being Uncle (Grandfather) to Jack's children after all.

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Well that was unexpected."

"So we're not here to audition strippers?" Dean said, with disappointment and got slugged in the shoulder by Jack for that one.

"Relax. Not really. But I'm quite sick of greying my hair. So I'm going to die and come back. Except I won't be me. I'll be my handsome, charming younger cousin named...well...Ben." Ben said with a laugh. "So I get to make out a will." He gestured to the papers in front of him. "So what do you kids want?" Kids, he called them kids, though he looked to be a peer of Jack's now (when he wasn't greying his hair) and a tad younger than Dean.

"Shouldn't you leave all that stuff to this guy named Ben?" Jack asked, thinking this was the strangest thing he had ever done, and he had been involved in some really strange things since meeting his brothers.

"I don't need anything from you, Ben." Sam said with a chuckle, not quite sure what to make of all of this.

"Okay, fine." Ben said. "I'll just tell Rachel, and Kaylie, and Mary that you three due to some male pride or something, turned down an inheritance."

Dean whistled at that. "Okay, maybe we should re think this then."

"I don't know... seems weird since you aren't really dying or anything." Sam said. "Just... set up a trust for Kevin or something. I don't know... "

"Why are you giving your things away?" Jack asked still confused.

"Because." Ben said, patiently, as if it were obvious. "That's what people do when they die, right? Humans leave things to their people. Well, you guys and all your little rugrats are my...well...people. And did you know you can get this kit, and it's all fill in the blanks?"

"I think he's having fun with this." Dean said. "Okay, I'm scared now."

Sam shook his head. "We're his people." He said with a laugh.

"But you aren't really dying you could just... give it all to this Ben guy that's gonna get the house and the clubs." Jack said. This was just too weird. In a strangely sweet sort of way.

"Please tell me you're going to be a lot friendlier to 'this Ben guy.'" Ben said.

"'This Ben guy' is you, dude." Dean said. "Too friendly and you'll think you're in the twilight zone."

"True." Ben said. "Come on, why are you guys making this so difficult? This is the first time I've died. Every other time I just picked up and moved on. So when people die, they're expected to have a will and stuff. And sure, I'm leaving the clubs, the house, the car and a bulk of the money and stocks to myself. But I should leave you guys something. And I did that whole college trust thing once you people started spawning, or adopting, however you want to see it. No idea how much college goes for, you know, since Jack was stubborn and wouldn't let me pay and all. So they're each getting a million. Is that about right?"

"Yeah. If they attended a bunch of colleges and racked up one hell of a bar tab." Dean said, eyes widening a bit at that.

Sam sank down into a chair. "Okay, guess I don't have to worry about college funds... Kevin will have enough to share with any kid I could manage to adopt... even if I picked up another dozen or so." He said. "I ahm.. thank you... but that's not why we're here actually." Sam wasn't comfortable with all this talk of inheritances and fake deaths. "We were wondering if you could keep an eye on the kids for a few days. Bobby fell and busted his hip. We're gonna go out and try and bully him into coming back here with us."

"Well, I was going to buy a plane and crash it on Tuesday..." Ben said.

"Yeah, well, can you put it off?" Dean asked, clearing his throat. Some things about Ben just remained strange no matter how long he lived as a human.

"Sure." Ben said with a shrug. "Give me more time to crunch some numbers. Maybe Bobby wants some money."

"Ben..." Dean said, trying not to laugh. "Do you have any idea how much money a million dollars is?"

"Uh...well...it's got six zeroes after it?" Ben said. "Look, when I first married my wife, one day you could get a washing machine, a good one, for thirty bucks." Ben had no concept of money. He just squirreled it away because he had nothing better to do with it, since he didn't have many needs. And some of the money went way up in value, with stocks and such. "Sure, I'll look after them. They can help me with this."

"Right." Sam said in a nervous tone. "Okay... this is definitely different."

"What ever, man... you need to take that up with Kaylie, cause I just bring home the paycheck, she makes sure everything gets taken care of, and I like it that way. I start making money decisions like that and she might start expecting me to do more of that shit and ... I hate it so... there." Jack said. He was used to Ben's strangeness, but this was the first time he had ever planned his death.

"Look, boys, it's either I die, or I leave. This way, I die, I come back and I have another thirty or so years here." It made logical sense to Ben. "But okay, I'll take it up with Kaylie."

"You know what, Ben? How about you leave me two million dollars?"

"Thatta boy!" Ben said, nearly excitedly as he scribbled it down. "I knew one of you would get the hang of this game."

"And I'll pay you two million dollars to watch Mary and keep her out of trouble while we're getting Bobby." Dean said with a grin.

Sam laughed at that one. "Trust me... you will earn it. She doesn't go anywhere without that dog." Not that the dog was bad it was just... old... with that old dog... smell. That Mary never seemed to notice.

"Hey, leave Ginger Bear alone." Dean said. "Okay so that's settled. Bobby should be fun to deal with."

"You need a new definition of fun, Dean." Ben said. "Because he was cranky before he broke his hip. Unless they have him on good drugs, then it could be fun."

"Bobby is a 79 year old hunter. He is probably trying to get them to turn the morphine drip off and let him hobble on home. This is going to be anything but fun, and somewhere in heaven Dad is going to be watching and laughing his ass off while we try and corral him."

"Again, he's seventy nine years old." Dean said. "It'll be a piece of cake. We can take him if it comes to that. So, Jack, give Kaylie our best. We all still on for Sunday dinner?"

"Yep, if the weather holds, we'll be grilling out back. More room for kids then. Will you have the new kids yet then?" Jack asked.

"Weekend visits for now. They've been through a lot. Especially Tessa. She doesn't talk yet. She'll come out of it eventually. But yeah, expect us to bring all three on Sunday."

"Should I sit this one out?" Ben asked. "I mean, Kevin had me pegged as a demon a mile away. I'm really over making kids cry. Got over that a couple hundred years ago."

"No it's alright if you are there." Sam said. "You are part of the family and that's why we do these weekend visits. If they can't handle it... then we find them another family." It was harsh but it was how things worked. He didn't want to spring Ben on them later and have the whole thing explode after they had brought them home to stay.

"All right then. I'll bring the steaks." Ben said with a nod. "I'll bring my space heater to your place, Dean. Since I know you like your house cold and all."

"68 degrees is not cold." Dean said with a roll of his eyes.

"Whatever. So when are you guys leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning." Sam said. "Which means we need to get going. You have a date with your daughter, and I have to break it to Rachel that I will be spending the better part of a week out of town."

"If you're lucky you won't be sleeping on the couch." Dean said with a laugh. "See you later Ben. Come on Sam, I have to drive you home."

"I'm not sleeping on the couch. I still have a room at your place, remember." He said, following Dean out the door. "It's going to be rough seeing Bobby this way." Bobby Singer had always been a powerhouse of a man. One of the few that could stand toe to toe with his father and not blink once. It had been easy to pretend he still was that powerhouse, since Bobby had been blessed with good mental health in his old age. No Alzheimer's, or senility. No dementia. Just a body that wasn't willing to keep up with the mind any more.

"Yeah tell me about it. And Bobby'll chew us a new one, bedridden or not, if we try to treat him any different too." Dean said. "This should be interesting."

"Well it's not like his brain isn't working... just his bones." Sam said. "I am floored the man lasted this long. Hell I'm surprised we lasted this long!"

"Dude, I shouldn't have survived my twenties." Dean said with a laugh. "Believe me, I'm just as surprised as you are. And that we're having a demon babysit our kids. And the fact we have kids in the first place."

"I'm moving in with someone... still scared as hell about that, but what's a guy to do?" He shrugged. He couldn't live in fear of the son of a bitch coming back...well... he could but he couldn't let it dictate his life anymore. If he did he wouldn't have a life.

Dean laughed. "What's a guy to do? Memorize these important lines. Yes, dear. Whatever you say, honey. Of course those pants don't make you look fat. I was not looking at her. And what a brilliant idea!"

"You've seen Rachel, right?" Sam asked with a laugh. "The only thing that could make her look fat is a fat suit. " Sometimes he worried that she was a little too thin, but she could keep up with Kevin in the eating department. So it wasn't like she was starving herself.

"Okay, but you've got all the answers to anything she might ask." Dean said with a laugh. "Sam you'll be fine. Might actually relax for a moment or two if you try too."

"If I can get the nightmares to stop." Sam admitted. "Every time we start talking about setting a date I see it all over again."

"Sam, you'll probably have those nightmares whether you're married or not." Dean said. "I'd just bite the bullet and go for it if that's what you want. That bastard can't rule our lives forever, he's done enough damage, don't you think?"

"More than enough." Sam said but the look on his face seemed to turn back the years and he looked like the young man who had seen his world go up in flames once more.

"All right, don't be a girl about it." Dean teased his brother, to break the moment of maudlin. "The real question is how long can a good Catholic boy like you continue living in sin? You know, we've got some bets on that."

Sam couldn't help but laugh. "I don't know. We'll see. I'm not exactly a fanatic you know."

"Yeah, gives me hope that I'll win then." Dean said with a grin as he pulled up in front of his house. "Okay, let's go break the news to the kids about Bobby." Who they considered their uncle, Kevin especially, who loved the old hunter.

"Yeah. if he says no we can always have Ben bring the kids out. Secret weapon. " Sam suggested. "He still has a weakness for kids. Guess it wasn't just us."

"Or it's because they're ours." Dean said as he got out of the Impala. "Mary? Kevin? You guys home? Come on down, we gotta talk to you."

Kevin came down the stairs with all the normal reluctance of a teenager. "What's up?"

Mary came out of her room followed by her dog as usual.

"It's your Uncle Bobby. He took a fall and is in the hospital." Sam said. "Busted his hip. Dean and I are gonna go check on him tomorrow and see if we can't talk him into coming to stay here."

"Busted his hip?" Mary asked. "That's not gonna heal right at his age, is it?"

"At his age, probably not." Dean said. Because he played it as straight with his daughter as he could, all the time. He'd seen what his father keeping some things hidden had done to Sam. And himself, truthfully. Not to mention Jack. "So he's gonna be in the hospital, then we'll get him transferred to a rehab around here, once he's released, well, he'll have Sam's old room."

"Huh." Kevin said. "You really think he's gonna go for that, so easily? Thought you guys knew him pretty well?"

"No one said anything about easy, Kev." Sam said. "But he can't live on his own anymore and there aren't alot of other options that he would like any better. Unfortunately he isn't gonna want to hear that he can't live on his own, or that Rumsfeld doesn't count as a roommate."

"Rumsfeld is older than Mary's dog." Kevin said with a shake of his head. "Well, can I go? To make sure he's okay? I could go house sit for him."

"Oh yeah. You and a house full of demon hunting knowledge. You'd completely get your homework done." Dean said.

"Definitely not. But when it's time to pack up the house you can come with. " Sam said. "Ben is coming over while we are gone."

"Ben? God I'm going to melt." Mary complained. "Better stock up on bags of ice."

"Hey, you like Ben. Besides, he's got a project for you guys any ways." Dean said, shaking his head at the thought of a bunch of teenagers helping an old demon with his will.

"I love Ben... " Mary said. "I don't love sweating... so what project?" She asked.

"He's, ah," Dean laughed. "He's making out a will. Like he's playing Monopoly or something. Should keep you two occupied."

"A will?" Kevin said. "A demon is making out a will. Wow. Hey, is he leaving us anything?"

"That's what he wants help with. But you are not to take advantage of him." Sam said sternly. "I mean it. "

Mary laughed. "Yeah like we could take advantage of him."

"Oh, Sam, lighten up." Dean said with a laugh. "After all, they're minors, so if they do take advantage of it, it gets held in trust with us as the trustees, we can do what we want with it. Like donate it to charity or American Idol or something."

"That's harsh." Kevin said.

"Works for me... except for that whole American Idol thing." Sam shuddered.

"We're not going to take advantage of the innocent demon, Uncle Sam." Mary said rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, right." Dean said, not believing that for a second. "Just remember a demon's retribution is a complete bitch. And he's sneaky. With a lot of friends. On, weirdly enough, both sides." He shook his head at that for a moment. "So ready for dinner?"

"Sure, let's go." Mary said with a grin. "If you are going out of town and leaving me with a baby sitter at my age, you're springing for dessert."

"You never get sick of extorting me, do you?" Dean said with a laugh. "See you guys later."

"I don't need a babysitter." Kevin said to Sam. "I really don't."

"Probably not, but we need you to have one." Sam said. It was something they had both sworn never to do to their children. Leave them alone to face the world, waiting for them to come back.

Kevin made a face. "So I can train to hunt, but when I'm not handling dangerous weaponry and ritual material I get treated like I'm Abby or something?" Kevin said. "That's bull and you know it."

"You're not being treated like Abby." Sam said. "Come on, let's go get Rachel and get some dinner ourselves. " He led the way out to the truck. "It's one of those screwed up things that kids wind up paying for their grandparents' mistakes. But it's how things are. "

"Yeah, well, how things are suck." Kevin said. He had a babysitter. At his age. As if school wasn't hard enough, wait until the kids heard about this one. He was lucky if a girl glanced at him, but he certainly didn't want them glancing at him with laughter. At least, more than they already did.

"The alternative sucked too." Sam said with a sigh. "Dean and I used to wait in hotel rooms alone while Dad hunted. We were about a year older than Abby and Benjamin. A lot of things happened that we don't want to happen to our families."

"Yeah. Who cares if I ever get a date as long as your conscience is clear, right?" Kevin said as he got into the truck. "Fine. We'll be fine. We'll be perfect little angels for our favorite demon. Promise."

"Why would Ben staying at the house make you not get a date? Kevin... the only thing keeping you from getting a date is you not asking the girls out." Although he was afraid of Kevin having Dean's taste in women and not many guys could get the wanna be beauty queens in high school.

Kevin looked pained as he looked out the window. Why didn't he ask girls out? Because that would require talking to them. And not stuttering, stumbling or dropping everything all over himself. Which was a feat he couldn't quite manage. He'd watch Dean, well, Uncle Dean, with women. So freaking effortless. And to hear the man he considered his father rag on the man he considered his uncle, it had nearly always been like that. A quick grin, a wink, and Dean was set. Kevin? He never got that far. And winking, grinning and talking together? He couldn't manage that around a girl, that was for sure. "Yeah, well..." Kevin said. "High school sucks."

"Yeah well, only two more years to go... then college." Sam said. "I didn't date much until college either. Dean swore I was adopted when I went stag to my junior prom."

"Yeah, I guess I at least have that excuse right?" Kevin said with a grin. "I am adopted! Obviously I can't be expected to have inherited any of the whole girl snaring genes when technically I don't share any genes. Takes some of the weight off." He said with a chuckle.

Sam laughed. "You'll figure out girls. Or at least how to get their attention. I don't think girls understand girls." Sam certainly didn't. "But don't let Ben give you too many ideas about girls... unless he is drunk and he's talking about the Great Depression. Which will probably make you want to run and hide anyway. He's a maudlin drunk."

"Great. So my babysitter is a maudlin, strip club owning, heavy drinking chain smoking demon. Who probably still, even in that state, can pick up women with a glance." Kevin said. "Yeah, that should make me feel non pathetic."

"Kevin, you're not pathetic." Sam said with a smile as they pulled up in front of Rachel's office and turned off the engine. "Anything but. You have been through things that would put just about everyone you go to school with in a straight jacket, including your teachers. And yet here you are having a perfectly normal conversation about girls. That in and of itself is pretty amazing. Most of the jocks roaming the halls... you can out do physically because of the training you have. You think on your feet and know what to do in a crisis. And you still manage not to hurt anyone if you can avoid it. I'm proud of you. " He could remember feeling that way himself. Especially when he was watching Dean pick up girls like it was nothing. "No, that doesn't help with the dry mouth and shaking hands every time a girl walks by, but it does mean you aren't pathetic by a long shot."

"Yeah, I know." Kevin said with a chuckle as he climbed over the front seat to the back, seeing Rachel come out. "Can't get any worse after high school."

"Hey." Rachel said as she got into the truck, leaning over and giving Sam a kiss.

"Hey yourself." Sam said, then explained about Bobby and that he and Dean were leaving the next morning. "So, where do you want to go to dinner tonight?"

"I'm definitely in the mood for pasta." She said with a grin. "Poor Bobby, this is definitely going to be a blow for him." She knew how independent the old hunter was, and liked to be. The hospitalization itself had to be a nightmare.

"Yeah. I'm hoping he will come back here with us." Sam said as he started toward the restaurant. "There is a rehab place that specializes in this sort of thing locally and we could have him flown straight here from the hospital. But he is going to fight us tooth and nail, I know."

"If he adamantly refuses and you can't convince him, you could always be named his guardian." Rachel said. "It's a last resort thing, but it would work." Kevin started laughing fromt he back seat.

"Would that make Uncle Bobby my brother then?" He asked, laughing still.

Sam started laughing then. "He would never forgive me if we did that. So I hope it isn't possible. He's lost enough of his dignity already with this." He parked the truck. "But we will be back by the weekend on this trip, we have that family dinner at Jack and Kaylie's on Sunday and the weekend visit with the kids. Oh...and Ben is watching Kevin and Mary while we're gone. He wants their help making his will."

"Will? He's making a will?" Rachel said. From a purely human perspective, which Rachel was (purely human that is), making a will was fatalistic and morbid. "Is he all right?"

"He's fine, but he's planning on buying and crashing a plane, then leaving most of his stuff to his younger relative named ...well.. Ben. But he seems to think he needs to leave everyone else something as well. Because it's what people do when they die or something like that."

"Aw, that's kinda sweet." Rachel said with a smile. "He likes you guys, even if he won't admit it." Then she stopped. "So you and your brother had the bright idea of having two teenagers help him with his will? Are you nuts?"

"It won't be that bad." Kevin said. "I mean, hello, he can always say no."

Sam laughed. "He's like a big kid playing with monopoly money. And the kids know that we have control of what ever they arrange to get, so if it's outrageous, we can rectify it. "

"Good idea." Rachel said. "Good thing he's pulling this while they're minors then. Because they might have taken him for a ride then."

"Okay, Ben has no idea what he's doing with money, but he's not an idiot. Else Uncle Jack would be completely spoiled by someone other than his wife." Kevin pointed out as he pulled out a hand held video game.

"There is always that." Sam said with a shrug. "And anything passed around the family can be gathered up and given back to him when this whole fun of faking his death is done. but I gotta tell you if he expects me to cry at his fake funeral... not happening."

"Oh, come on honey." Rachel said with a grin. "You could give the eulogy. 'There was this time...sixteen years ago...when he beat the shit out of me...' And sob right through it. You know he wants a good show."

"It's going to be us and a lot of strippers... some of them now too old to look at with out cringing anymore." Sam said. "I don't know that he needs some grand eulogy... Dean might be up for that though. He misses the con I think."

"And the bartenders from the two clubs, the waitresses, and anyone else he's run across in the community." Rachel said. "He did raise Jack, I don't think he did that by closing himself off to hanging with strippers only."

"Oh Uncle Dean will rock the eulogy. Probably leave Ben and you in tears." Kevin said. "I'll sell the tickets."

Sam led the way inside, and they were directed to an open table. "I'm not going to cry." He held out the chair for Rachel, pushing it in for her before taking his own seat.

Kevin chuckled as he sat down. "Yeah, right." He said. "Come on, we all know Uncle Dean. Guy should have been a speech writer for a politician."

"Kevin, no one's going to cry. Because we know he's alive, remember?" Rachel said with a laugh.

"Yeah it ahm... puts a damper on that whole bawling our eyes out thing when we're trying not to laugh." Sam said as he looked at the menu.

"Maybe we should have the kids..." She looked at Kevin. "The ones younger than you and Mary, maybe Mark, sit out the funeral. Not every Winchester is gifted with your brother's particular brand of bull shit."

"I think you are right. I will talk to Jack about it. Definitely not taking Tessa and Simon if they are with us at that point. I cannot believe how weird my family is."

"It's completely weird. The most normal person in it is the demon." Kevin said with a laugh. "So when are the kids coming anyway?"

"We get a weekend visit with them this weekend. Rachel and I have already had a few visits. Tessa, the little girl, doesn't talk. She is pretty fragile really. She watched her natural family die while she hid under the cupboards at 5 and now she lost her foster family... Simon's family. Both were hunter families but it doesn't help make you ready for that."

Kevin was silent at that and stared intently at the menu. He knew about things like that. Hunter families that didn't make it. Fathers that went out and never came back. A demon that turned on his mother. He knew about things like that. "The spaghetti looks good." He said idly.

Rachel passed Sam a look. There were a few things that could still get to Kevin. Demons killing humans was one of them. "Yeah, it does. I think I'll have that too."

"I'm sorry Kevin." Sam said. It had been bad timing, but the truth of the matter was, this was their lives. If it wasn't something Kevin could handle, then he was going to have a hard time as a hunter. Demons destroyed families. It's what they do. Sam couldn't shelter the boy anymore. It wouldn't be doing him any favors.

Kevin looked up from his menu. "I know." He said. "I just don't want to talk about it, is all. You two can talk about it when I'm not around, but I don't want to talk about it." Sounding for all the world like Dean in that moment, though there was absolutely no genetic connection.

A public restaurant wasn't the place to press the issue, so Sam let it drop. He knew how hard it was to lose someone you loved, and yes he still bore the scars from it. But he also knew that swallowing it whole and shoving it to the back didn't always work out the way you wanted it to. Maybe they needed a sunrise walk before he headed for the Dakotas.

"So, we should probably start looking for a bigger place." He suggested to Rachel. "Something we own and can modify as needed."

"We should. We can drive around a bit after dinner. See who we're going to hound tomorrow." Rachel said with a laugh.

"I don't want to change schools." Kevin said adamantly. He might not have a way with girls, but he had friends at his school he'd rather not lose because of some arbitrary move.

"I can understand that. We'll do our best to keep you in the same school district. And you two can go house hunting while Dean and I are out of town. We'll hit your favorites when I get back."

"That sounds good." Rachel said as they put their orders in.

"Yea. Sounds like loads of fun." Kevin said with a chuckle. "House hunting. Well, I guess its better than cleaning the bathroom."

"Look at it as new bedroom hunting." Sam said.

SPNSPNSPN

Mary grinned broadly as they brought out the steaks. "Oh yeah... that's a steak." She said looking at the plate mounded with a thick steak and fries.

Dean watched in dismay as she cut into her steak and pink juice came out. "That's not a steak, that's a health hazard." Dean said. "I swear, you were switched at birth or something. Only explanation. Or when I dropped you on your head. Rare, ick."

"You dropped me on my head?" She asked. "You? Highly unlikely." She told him as she popped a bite of the pink but cooked through meat into her mouth and savored it.

"Well, I could have." Dean said. "And maybe if I did, would have knocked some sense into you." He said with a chuckle. "Now, when Bobby comes home to our place, I'm gonna need some help. Because he is a cranky, stubborn old bastard." He said with a chuckle.

"Yeah cause I have so much experience with that." She teased. "But do you really think you can get him to move here?" She asked. "I mean... would you in his position?"

"Probably not." He said as he ate his fries. "Course, I'm not the one with pins in my hip suffering from dehydration. He doesn't have a choice. He'll get used to it after a while." Because Bobby didn't have a choice on that matter. "Besides, it'll give Ginger Bear someone to play with, someone that she can keep up with."

"Bobby and Ginger?" She asked and laughed. "And I sincerely hope you plan on using a different tactic than that to convince him." She shook her head. "You'll get used to it never worked on me, can't imagine it would would on a man who is used to being in control of his own life."

"He took care of me and Sam when we were kids. When your grandfather would go off on his hunts. Helped rescue us a couple of times. When we needed Bobby, he had a way of turning up with the right answer. Now it's our turn to take care of him is all. We owe him." Dean said with a shrug.

"I know and I think it's the right thing, I just ... well... think you need to be careful of Uncle Bobby's dignity right now."

"We can handle this." Dean said. "But while we're gone, you need to rest up. And that whole curfew thing, completely enforced. But once Bobby's transferred to the rehab center, we gotta go pack up his house."

"Wow...where are we gonna put all of his books? You know if it's just me, you and Uncle Bobby we could turn the family room into like... his personal space cause Kevin's room is right off of there. Still don't know where all those books are gonna go but it would at least feel like he had some privacy and control over his life."

"That's a good idea." Dean said, nodding. "We can expand that room a bit, we've got enough space on that side of the house. See how long it stays organized for. Should calm him down a bit. Besides, it's not like we don't have things for him to work on."

"Exactly. And when you get that old and infirm, I figure I'll put a keg out in the garage with a broken car as bait then lock the doors till you see reason."

"Oh great." Dean said with a laugh. "Keep up talk like that, you're going to quickly lose the favorite child spot. I don't plan on being old and infirm any time soon. I figure if I can keep intimidating any guy that dares to shadow my doorstep, means I still got it."

"How can I lose the favorite child spot? I'm the only child. It automatically goes to me." She said with a laugh. "At least it won't be completely quiet around the house. Gonna miss Uncle Sam and Kevin."

"It's not like they're moving far away." Dean said. "Besides, we'll see more of Sam and Jack than we did before. After all, now they're on even footing in the competition for my attention, neither lives with me anymore." It amused him more than anything else, because it hadn't come to blows in a long time.

"Those two are funny. " Mary said. "Some days I am glad that I'm an only child, others... I think you had it pretty cool."

"Well, Jack didn't come along until I was twenty seven. Till then, from the age of four, it was just me and Sam." Dean said. Not wanting to point out to his daughter that the relationship he and Sam had was hardly the typical brother relationship. Even he'd admit, now, that there was a whole lot of co dependency there. Not to mention Dean had pretty much raised Sam, and himself, at the same time.

"So how did they deal with Mom taking all of your attention?" They didn't speak of her mother. Not because it was taboo really but just because no one wanted to bring up anything that would cause her father pain.

"Well, Uncle Sam wasn't there for that part." Dean said with a wince. "That was during his...crisis of faith...period. We didn't really reconnect until your mom's funeral. Jack, oh he loved her. She usually took his side in things." Things like patching Dean up, and getting Dean to admit that he needed patching up in the first place.

Mary laughed. "They ganged up on you, huh? Do you think he'll ever marry Rachel?"

"Yeah, they ganged up on me. Your mom made up an acronym that Uncle Jack still loves to throw in my face." Dean said with a laugh. "Yeah, they'll get married. Might be to share social security, but they'll get married. Count on it."

"Made up an acronym?" She asked with a laugh. "The one he uses when you say your fine,yet bleeding more than my steak?"

"Yeah, that would be the one." Dean said with a laugh. "Courtesy of your mother. I think she knew me a little too well. Couldn't slip anything past her, and believe me, I tried. Lots."

"I don't understand how you manage to con anyone at all. You're so transparent it isn't even funny."

"Transparent?" Dean said. "Sweetheart, you're looking at a man who convinced legions of people he was an FBI agent, morgue attendant, park ranger, homeland security, insurance adjuster, cop, bikini inspector..."

She raised an eyebrow. "Bikini inspector I would believe... so long as it was a self appointed position."

"Self appointed?" Dean said with a laugh. "I get it. It's because I'm Dad. Don't worry, I forgive you for your lack of faith in me."

"You think there is actually someone out there hiring Bikini inspectors? Do women your age actually buy that sort of line?"

"I don't even think there is such a job. I made it as a gag to get at your uncle. But doesn't matter. They just have to believe that it's a real job, and you've got it." Dean said. "That's all it is, someone else believing whatever you say. It's a talent, that thank god I don't think you inherited. Because you can't lie worth a damn." And that wasn't a bad thing, he didn't want that sort of life for her.

"Yeah but it's damned hard to get a lie past me too. So I think it's a talent I will count myself lucky to have. So Daddy... there is this movie playing that I really want to go see, and my friend Jason wants to go see it... and ahm... we'd like to see it together... as a date."

"Jason? Date? Dark movie theater? Jason as in boy Jason with boy parts?" Dean said. "Oh boy. Do I get to meet this Jason? And you're driving, right? Is this just a courtesy ask or is this a real ask?" Meaning had she already made plans and was going to do it anyway no matter what he said.

"I said I would go if you said yes, he knows your rule about it having to be my car. It's a crowded movie theater, and yeah I can have Jason come over when you get back. We were wanting to go this Saturday."

"This Jason, this boiling ball of barely contained hormones in a teenager's body...he's not the reason you were three hours late for curfew last night, is he?" Dean asked as he ate his steak. God, a date. This was one of those times he really wished his late wife was still alive. Because he knew too clearly how a teenage boy thought. And it wasn't any sort of thoughts he wanted around his daughter!

"No, Daddy. I was out there alone. I promise. " Mary wasn't one to make out in public places like the beach. Mostly because there was no telling where or when her father would show up. Not that she had done anything more than making out or that her father needed to know she had done even that much.

"As much as I'd love to investigate the possibility of sending you off to a convent or something," Dean said with a sigh, "sure. I guess that will be all right." He'd learned from his father that the quickest way to make sure a kid did something was to tell the kid absolutely not. Worked with Sam, after all. No you can't go to Stanford. So where did Sam go? And the last thing he wanted was something that stupid between him and his only child. Dean was going to have to admit that Mary was growing up, thank God he had a road trip coming up with his brother.

"Thank you." She said getting up from her seat and coming around the table to hug her father. Then went back and sat down, blushing as several patrons were smiling at them indulgently. "Just don't say the word Convent around Uncle Sam... he knows far too many priests for me to be comfortable with that." She teased.

"Oh I don't know, I'm pretty comfortable with the idea." Dean said with a grin. "I'm sure we could find a nice isolated one too. You know, there are all girl colleges too. Just putting that out there."

She wrinkled her nose. "And what's the point in that?" She asked. "I don't even know what I want to do yet. Let's hold off on college until I decide that I want to even go. And convent... definitely out. Not ready to give the rest of my life over to any man... not even God."

"And that's a great thing for me to hear." Dean said with a laugh. He'd tackle the college thing later. Even if he had to find someone to write her essay for her, she was going.

She pushed her plate away. "So, now that I am almost grown and out of your hair... when are you gonna start seriously dating again?"

"What? Where'd that one come into play?" Dean asked. "Hate to break it to you, I'm not a serious dating type. That's all your uncles."

"You married Mom... you had to seriously date at some point in your life." She pointed out. "I don't want you to be alone when I move out and Uncle Bobby doesn't count."

"Uncle Bobby does too count. You should go bug Ben. He's been single longer than I have." Dean said with a chuckle. "And he's got no one in the house."

"Ben isn't my father." She said as she looked over the dessert menu. "And he has far too much baggage to ever be happy anyway."

"Actually, I think what makes him happiest is to be miserable." Dean said, laughing. "I'm fine, Mary. You don't have to worry about me. Been taking care of myself for a long time now, and been doing a pretty good job of it too."

"Right... cause that line works so well on you when Sam says it." She said with a laugh and motioned the waitress over to order the dessert she wanted.

Dean passed on dessert and ordered another beer instead. "Difference, Sam hasn't been taking care of himself as long as he thinks he has." Dean said with a laugh.

"Neither have you Dad. It's kind of a mutual thing going on there...and he is moving out and getting married theoretically. So I'm a little worried."

"Don't worry so much. I'll be fine." Dean said. "It's not like he's going away forever. I can still bug him. And there's Bobby, and the shop, and Jack...and you're not as grown up as you think you are besides."

"Never said I was grown up. Just that I will be moving out in a couple years. "

"Are you trying to kill me here?" Dean said. "Wow, dating, moving out...you're not pregnant are you?"

"Nope. Can't catch what you're not exposed to." She said with a laugh. "And see... that's what I mean. You're gonna need someone there. Otherwise it wouldn't bug you that I'm growing up."

"Hold that thought." Dean said and took out his cell phone, calling Jack. "Hey Jack." He said, laying it on the table and turning the speaker phone feature on. "Really quick question. You're all married and crap, so we can consider that as you having someone there, right?"

"Yeah." Jack said with a laugh. "Where did that question come from?"

"So you've got your wife who's there, and she's a pretty big part of your life." Dean said. "So does this mean Abby gets a free pass to...oh I don't know...date? Break curfew? Hang out with boys at all hours? Play a little show and tell? Obviously because Kaylie's there, all that stuff doesn't bug you at all, right?"

"Okay... who handed you the crack pipe?" Jack asked as Mary groaned in the background. "Abby can date when she is 16, if the boy has the balls to ask my permission first. The rest of that... hell no."

"Thank you." Dean said, trying not to laugh. "I'll explain Mary's little theory to you later. You'll get a huge kick out of it, bro." He said as he hung up and looked at Mary expectantly at Jack's blow up of her own theory.

Mary gave a growling sigh. "Well that was embarrassing." She said. "So it isn't that you are going to be lonely, you just want me to be 12 for the rest of my life."

Dean gave her an exasperated look. "Well, why didn't you just say that?" He said. "And you're only half right. I like the age of six better. You were a whole lot easier to pick up then." He said with a laugh.

"Because I was hoping that... I don't know... you could be happy somewhere along the way. I don't want you to be lonely." She said. "And I would so not want to be 6 forever. "

"I loved the age of six. Boys had cooties." Dean said with a laugh. "Mary, I'm fine. I'm not lonely, I'm not unhappy, it's not your job to fix my life. It's my job to control yours, remember?"

"Control is such a strong word... especially at my age." She pointed out.

"I'm not that bad, and you know it." Dean said. "Is it so freaking wrong for me to want to protect my only child? Especially since I know what's out there, human and not so human? Is that so wrong and evil of me?"

"No, Dad... but I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm not gonna do anything stupid, okay."

Dean had to laugh at that. Either that or choke on his beer. "Sweetheart, you're a Winchester. Doing something stupid is written into the genetic code. Trust me. You're a direct descendant of the king of doing stupid things, me. Just ask your uncle Sam."

Mary laughed. "And you wonder why I worry about you." She said rolling her eyes.

The next morning seemed to come earlier than Sam would have liked, but he was at Dean's bright and early starting a pot of coffee before going to knock on Dean's door.

Dean pulled the blankets over his head as soon as he smelled the coffee. Dammit,it was morning already. But he got up and opened the door just as Sam was about to knock on his bedroom door. "This getting up early crap is for the birds." He mumbled as he took the coffee and started drinking. He was a night owl, not a morning bird. Always had been.

"Yeah well, if we don't leave now...we'll be spending two nights in crappy motels instead of one." He pointed out. Sam was always up to watch the sunrise, whether he saw it at the beginning of the day or the end of a very long day was neither here nor there.

"You and sunrises." Dean said as he drank his coffee. And got another cup. "You know, mornings are meant to be slept through. That's the beauty of mornings. Sleep through them, stay up all night." He yawned. "You pack the car?"

"Yeah, I packed the car." Sam said with a laugh. "As though its ever really unpacked. Come on sleepy head, I'll take the first shift."

"Like hell." Dean said as he went to get dressed. Then he rapped on Mary's door. "We're going." He said and was rewarded with a muffled grunt in reply, which made him chuckle. "That's my girl." He said. "A non morning person just like her old man." Then he went back out. "Okay, I got first shift. And probably second and third. You drive my car like you're driving your car."

"Dean, I have been driving your car since I was 22, I think I can handle her at this late date." Sam said shaking his head. "Come on slow poke, breakfast on the road. I want to get to Bobby before he kills the hospital staff in the escape."

"I don't know, that could be funny." Dean said as he left money for Mary and Kevin. "Fine, let's go." He said with a chuckle as they headed out to the Impala. It was still on the road. It was nearly sixty years old, well, the model year was, and had been rebuilt over the years. Parts replaced and fixed. Dean was forced to give up his cassette player once they stopped making cassettes period and his old ones started to wear out. So he had a CD player now. Since they still made CDs.

"When was the last time we drove farther than Louisiana? I'm starting to feel old and I haven't even hit middle age yet." Sam said as he walked over to the car and started to check the supplies. It had been a very long time since they had been on the road. Really on the road.

"You know, you always make fun of this car. But I've been offered serious, and I mean serious, money for her." Dean said.

"I still bet if you had driven her down into that pit you put me in... she wouldn't have come out of it. " He teased. "She's got to be possessed. Or on her 14th engine. But I can well imagine you get offered a fortune for her. Glad you never took 'em up on it."

"Shut up and get in the car." Dean said. He had a bag packed. He always had a bag packed. Their hunts had gotten a bit farther outside the immediate community circle, so he kept one in the car at all times. "She's not possessed. Your just jealous because you've gone through...how many vehicles?"

"3." Sam said. "And I am not jealous. I prefer to make my commitments to real live human beings." He said as he got into the car. "Did your wife know your mistress was into chrome?" It was safe to tease a little now. It had been 16 years. It had been natural selection, not some monster lying in wait. Dean still grieved but the thought of his wife didn't kill him any more. How could it when he looked into her face every time he saw his daughter?

"Oh yeah." Dean said with a laugh. "She was well aware of it. And she was just as mocking as you, though never near the car. She, at least, had respect." He teased his brother. He turned the ignition on, the car still ran like it did when their father was driving it. They stopped by Dean's so he could reiterate the rules and leave the money, then hit the highway. No longer were they afraid to drive main roads. Backroads were fun, and they still took them, but high ways weren't forbidden anymore. Hell, cops never bothered to pull them over, not because of the passengers, but probably in awe of the car.

Sam settled into a comfortable position. He had more aches and pains than most men his age, but it wasn't bad.He was still able to be comfortable for long periods of time in the car. He shook his head, thinking of all the memories made in that car. Dean memories. John memories. Their childhood had been spent in this car. "So have you let Mary drive her yet?"

"She learned to drive on this car." Dean said with a laugh. "Because if she can drive this, she can drive anything. Especially those new cars," anything made after 1975 in his view, "with their power steering and computer chips and everything." In the end, Dean had gotten Mary something smaller, something not so much a tank.

"The computer chips are evil, but other than that, nothing wrong with a newer car... when you aren't having to drive through houses or ride out killer Semi attacks." Sam pointed out. Mostly he hated on board computers because they were a pain in the ass to work on when something was wrong with the car. Didn't matter that it could be a great diagnostic tool. Didn't do you any good when it was the computer that fried.

"Didn't say anything was wrong with them. Just that I don't like them for myself." Dean said with a laugh. "Besides, this baby runs as well as she did the day she came out of the factory. Can't send a car like this out to pasture. That would be a sin, wouldn't it, Sam?" He still teased his brother about his hard Catholic leanings.

"Somehow I don't think it's something you would have to go to confession for, but she might come back and run you down if you did." He told him.

The miles melted away behind them, in some ways taking the years with them as the brothers bantered and argued and reminisced about adventures past. People and places permanently ingrained in their memories, even if not their hearts.

"I can't believe this motel is still here." Sam said as they pulled into the parking lot.

Dean laughed and went and got a room. "I can't believe I paid for it with my own credit card." He said, shaking his head. They went to the room and Dean just stared, before laughing. "Looks like it's in exactly the same condition as the last time we were here. Like a porn set or something."

"Do you realize those curtains are probaby as old as your car?" Sam said as he set the bag on the bed, sitting down beside it. "Almost feels like we're stepping back in time, doesn't it? Too bad the aches and pains don't go away with it." He said with a chuckle. "So.. you wanna go get food while I call Rachel?"

"So, you want me to leave so you can talk dirty to your girlfriend?" Dean said. "Yeah, sure, call me when you're done. Would hate to completely time warp and walk in on you and all."

"Hey, she wanted me to call from the car... I could have always went for the food myself." Sam said with a laugh. "And it's not porn when it's with a real girl, wasn't that your definition before? "

"Dude, it's only NOT porn if the real girl is here." Dean said. "That's my bed. Stay off it, horn dog."

Sam laughed. "Just go get food." He said as he started to dial the phone. "Unless you want to listen in, in which case I'll just come along and defile your car."

"I'm going, I'm going." Dean said as he left with a wave.

Rachel answered on the fourth ring. "So you two decided to stop for the night? Thought you guys would drive all night, recapturing the good old days." She teased.

"I'm so not 23 anymore." He said with a sigh. "No driving all night, besides then we wouldn't get to remember the cheap motel experience." Sam smiled. "I've missed you. How sad is that? Less than 24 hours and I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

"That's not sad at all." Rachel said. "I'm glad you finally called, I can't sleep. Big old bed, all alone...not restful at all." She said with a chuckle. "I'm sleeping on your pillow. That's sadder."

"Not sad at all. Kinda sweet actually. And here I thought you would be glad for a night without my snoring." He said with a laugh. "You remembered to put up the protections on the windows and doors right? "

"Of course I did." Rachel said. "Though I think you should relax. It's been sixteen years and not a peep from him at all. Maybe he..moved on. Or I don't know, found a new hobby."

"He isn't the only thing out there, baby. If he were Dean and I would have a lot fewer scars . You still wearing the amulet I gave you?" He asked. He couldn't lose her like he had Jessica or Madison. Their deaths still haunted him. Flames danced on the ceiling in his dreams. He still couldn't eat chocolate chip cookies. It was messed up. But that was his life. It had been a lot better since the ritual, since they had settled down, but it was still a mess inside.

"Yes, I'm wearing it." Rachel said then she grinned. "It's all I'm wearing. The amulet, your pillow...and you're in a motel with your brother. Do you know how messed up that is?" She teased.

"Well actually Dean is out getting food, so I am here all alone." He told her as he lay down on the bed, pointedly not looking at the ceiling.

Her laughter came over the phone. "So should we pass dirty photos of each other through our cell phones then? God, you don't even know how long you're going to be gone, do you?"

"Shouldn't be long. This isn't a hunt or anything. We're just checking in with Bobby. Probably spend the day with him once we get there and come back the next. Dirty pictures, huh? Don't know if I want pictures of me at my age out there. Much less in a seedy motel room.. unless it... really turns you on." He said laughing, and blushing.

"Actually, it's the blush I can nearly hear over the phone that's a real turn on. Blushing people are a hard thing to find these days." She said with a laugh. "So you better keep it."

"I don't think that's going to be going away any time soon if I haven't lost it by now. So did you have any ideas about our vacation?" He asked her.

"I was thinking a cruise." She said. "Checked out some cruise lines...definitely not the touristy ones. I was thinking the ones where you just sail off and stay at sea until it's time to come back. Or, we could rent a boat of our own."

"Only if you know how to sail. I never learned. But I like the idea of staying on a boat... ship... what ever. They do Alaskan cruises, could be a lot of fun, definitely don't have to worry about sunscreen or a lot of tourists running us over."

"Sounds perfect. I'll see when I can get us booked." She said. "Think you'll be back by next month?"

"I will be back by next week. Probably even by this weekend. I promise. This isn't a hunt. " He said with a laugh.

"Oh good. Then you'll definitely be up for the cruise. When you're bruised you get cranky." She teased. Well, he did. It was a family trait she guessed.

Sam laughed. "Everyone gets cranky when they are bruised." He could hear the Impala pull into the parking space out in front of the door. "Dean's back. Guess our window for naughty talk is closed. But that's okay. I'll make it up to you in person when I get back."

"You better." She said. "I'll be waiting. Impatiently, but waiting."

Dean came in with the food. "Took my time, tracked down a supermarket with beer. Because I am an awesome brother."

Sam laughed. "I gotta go, he is telling me what an awesome brother he is. I should pay some attention to him. I love you, I'll call you tomorrow."

"Aww..that was sweet." Dean said as he tossed his brother a beer. "I feel nearly like a favorite house pet. Anyway, called the kids, they're fine. Double checked with the neighbors and everything's quiet. Jack's gonna do a drive by later. Like I said, no faith."

"Can you hear this guy? Love you. Talk to you tomorrow." He said again as he hung up. "You are barely house broken, I wouldn't call you a favorite house pet." Sam told his brother as he opened the beer. "What's for dinner?"

"Wings. Beer." Dean said with a shrug as he sat on his own bed. "You stayed off my bed, right? No freaky stuff while I was gone?"

"Dude... THAT's your bed? Oh man I'm sorry, I thought it was this one. I was just waiting for ...you know... over here." He said managing somehow to keep a straight face as he got up to get his share of the hot wings and another beer.

Dean gave him a long look. "You're a bitch." He said, shaking his head. "Dude, you don't joke about things like that!" He wondered if they were too old for payback.

Sam just gave him an innocent look. "Really, I'll trade you beds if you want." He said.

"Bitch." Dean repeated as he opened his beer. "Come on, eat up so we can get to sleep. Sooner we get to Bobby, less likely my house will be trashed." Not that they'd rush, they just wouldn't dawdle. Because even in the old days they rarely, if ever, dawdled.

"Jerk." Sam laughed. "The house will be fine. "

"Yeah, okay." Dean said with a chuckle. "Like we can really trust Ben to keep a lid on things, right?" He took his share of the wings. "So what's our plan? Go in there and tell him like it is and try not to get hit or things thrown at us?"

"We might want to say hi, how ya feeling first." Sam said. "But yeah pretty much. You know... I've gone in to a dangerous hunt with less trepidation."

"Tell me about it." Dean said. "I'd rather go after a wendigo with a spork." He said as they finished eating. "Okay, let's deal with this in the morning. We should be there by afternoon." He said as he turned out the light and rolled over onto his stomach to get some sleep.

It was a small hospital in the town not far from Bobby's house. "Okay... here's hoping they have him on the good stuff when we go in there." Sam said.

Dean took a deep breath as they stood outside Bobby's room. "Oh boy." He said. "You heard what the nurse said? They had to give him a private room because he scared all his other roommates with 'ghost stories' and stuff. Grown freaking men asking to be sedated over a few spirit stories."

"It's possible they were more afraid of Bobby than the stories." Sam said with a laugh. He rapped lightly on the door and pushed it open. "Hey man, how ya doing?"

Bobby looked over at the door, and saw John's Boys come in. They'd always be John's Boys, even if John had been dead these twenty years or so. "Hey kids. I didn't mean for you guys to come up. Just wanted you to know where I was if you called."

"Dude, come on. I love hospitals." Dean said with a laugh as he pulled up a chair. "At least you've got some cute ones."

Sam pulled a chair over closer to the bed. "So what are they saying? When will you be getting started on your physical therapy?"

"Tomorrow they're saying." Bobby said as he drank a glass of water. Looking all the world like he was home and they'd stopped by for a visit. Even if, right now, he couldn't get out of bed. "Told them I'm doing it a week here, at most, the rest can be done at home. I ain't staying here, even if I have to jump out the window."

"Sounds like a plan. Break the other hip and all." Dean said with a frown.

Sam ignored the scowl from Bobby, figuring it was just the beginning really. "We ahm... don't think you ought to be living alone anymore, Bobby. If you were dehydrated when they found you, you had to have been lying there a while. Next time you might not be so lucky."

Bobby's eyes cut to Sam, and glare from them was still powerful. "No." He said. "I know what you two boys are thinking, and I'm sorry you drove all this way with that fool idea in your heads, but no."

"Come on, Bobby." Dean tried in a different tone. "You live out in the middle of nowhere. Sometimes your phone doesn't even work. Besides, the kids will love having you there."

Bobby's glare turned on Dean in that moment. "I can take care of myself. I know you think you are trying to help me here, but you're not."

"Bobby." Sam said in a firm tone, not entirely unlike his father's. "You could have died. You aren't going to be as mobile as you used to be, Dude, you're pushing 80... it's okay to not live alone. "

"I've lived alone for a long time." Bobby said. "Me and my dog, we were getting along fine. It's just a setback, it happens. I'll be as right as rain in a bit."

"Bobby, last time we're going to ask. Then we're going to start telling." Dean said and Bobby looked between the two. Dealing with John had been bad enough, but both his boys sicced on him, with his tone? This was a joke from on high, he swore it. Unfortunately, he was either the punchline or the butt of it.

"Look... Kevin and I are moving out of Dean's place and in with Rachel...there is going to be room for you there, we'll build on if we have to to give you a place for all your books. You can bring the dog- he and Ginger-bear can limp around the back yard together. We're not asking you to lay down and die, just be safe."

"And what am I supposed to do with my salvage yard? My house? I have a busted hip, I'm not retired. And I can't exactly climb into the back of your ancient car and drive back to Texas." Bobby shot back.

"Who said anything about retired? I have a bunch of green mechanics you can whip into shape if you want." Dean said. "And the house, keep it, sell it, up to you. And you're going to stay here, then we'll get you transferred to a rehab facility near Corpus."

"Rehab facility... nursing home you mean." Bobby said with a growl. "I'm not going into a damned nursing home."

"It's not a nursing home..." Sam started to say.

"It's a nursing home, and moving in with you would be retiring. No to both."

"Fine." Dean said. "But I was talking with your doctor.."

"You did WHAT?" Bobby nearly got out of bed for that one.

"Yeah, I talked with him. And he tells me that my uncle can't live by himself out in the middle of nowhere. If you don't come with us, he'll have you declared incompetent and then you will be put in a nursing home." Dean said firmly, standing up. "We all know you're not incompetent, but he'll have you declared as such. So that's your choice, Bobby. Here, then a rehab facility for rehabilitation, then home with us, or here then a nursing home far away from where people can visit you. Until you go nuts. What's it gonna be?"

Bobby let loose with a string of invectives to make a sailor blush. "That's black mail, and it's underhanded even for a Winchester."

"Hey, it's not like we were the ones in here telling hunting stories to scare the roommates away... you set that one up yourself. We're just the dutiful nephews willing to take you off the poor doctor's hands."

"Dutiful nephews my ass." Bobby said but had to chuckle and shake his head a bit. "Damn it... I like my privacy."

"Dude, I don't live in a circus tent." Dean said. "All the rooms have walls. Besides, you'll pretty much have the first floor, Mary's room and my room are on the second floor. Besides, I need someone to help me scare off boyfriends. She's going on a...kill me now...date...on Saturday."

Bobby started laughing. "What? Couldn't get that tower built fast enough?" He shook his head. "You boys have me over a barrel. I'll go, but the first time either of you starts treating me like one of your kids, I'll kick your ass. I'm not too old to do that."

"We'd never do that." Dean promised. "And hey, there are some good points, right? Ben owns a strip club. Kaylie's the only one out of all us that really knows how to cook, lots of little children to tell all sorts of frightening stories to behind their father's back. Mary and Kevin will hang on every word, maybe Mark too. I've got a garage. And we'll get on a couple other rooms to yours for all your research and papers."

"And how is your brother going to feel about having me that close by?" Bobby asked. "He's been good about keeping that all bottled up but you know it's there."

"You did help get Ben out of the pit that day." Dean pointed out. "Fine, I'll ask him. At this rate, he's going to think I'm drunk dialing him." He said with a chuckle as he dialed Jack's cell. "Hey Jack...if I ask you a question, you'll always give me an honest answer, right? Even if you think I won't like the answer?"

"Yeah." Jack said. He didn't see much point in doing otherwise. One of the side effects of being raised by a demon who could give a shit what people thought of him. A tendency toward the blunt side of honest.

"Good." Dean said. "So remember when we told you we were headed up to Dakota where Bobby busted his hip...what do you honestly feel about him coming to live with me?" Since he was in the room with Bobby, he didn't spell out the fact that Bobby couldn't take care of himself anymore. Or Bobby would have been forced to show Dean that no matter how old either of them were, he'd hand Dean his ass in a sling shot.

"I don't care who moves in with you." Jack said honestly. "So long as he isn't sleeping on my couch, I'm fine. Just another body at Sunday dinner."

"You mean that?" Dean asked, just to be sure. Not that Jack had ever spared his feelings before!

"Yeah... I'm over it, honestly. " Jack had gotten to know Bobby and believed that the man regretted having nearly killed him in the past. That was enough at this late date. Besides, he was like family to Dean and Sam.

"Thanks, dude." Dean said, relieved. "Tell Kaylie I'm requesting some pie on Sunday." There would be a few weeks until Bobby came to Corpus, so this Sunday at least would be peaceful.

"I'll let her know." Jack said. "Talk to you when you get back."

Bobby scowled, knowing what was coming, and he wasnt sure how he felt about it. "Fine." He growled. "But it's under protest."

"If it weren't I'd think you hit your head instead." Dean said. "Bobby, it'll be fine. You were a great teacher to me and Sam, now there's this whole other generation of Winchesters just waiting. Besides, I got Ben babysitting, and if I don't come back with you, Mary will kill me after enduring the heatwave in my house."

"You have those kids being baby sat?" Bobby asked "At their age? You are moving me into a war zone."

"Hell yeah." Dean said. "I'm not my father. I know better than to leave two sixteen year olds alone in a house. This way, no parties, curfew is enforced, besides, they're helping him make out his will. They'll be millionaires by the time we get there."

Bobby simply shook his head. "Not everything your daddy did was wrong. Granted he had you on your own far too early, but smothering the kids is just as bad." He wasn't going to touch the fact that he had them being babysat by a demon. Maybe it was a good thing he was going there after all.

"No, but most of what he did should have gotten social services called on us." Dean pointed out. "Since I'm not mobile like we were when we were kids, I'd rather err on the side of caution when it comes to the state." He said honestly.

"There is that." Bobby said. "But social services would have gotten you boys killed early on."

"Oh definitely. Doesn't change the fact that I know what it's like to be questioned at school by someone who couldn't understand, then leave town in the middle of the night. Start a new school under a fake name, that sort of thing I didn't want for my kid. Worked great for me, doesn't work for everyone."

"Are they hunting?" Bobby asked.

"Kevin is, but he and I go out and do things like, repelling and stuff that could be considered extreme sports... explains away the bruises." Sam said. "Rachel and I are in the process of getting to know a couple more kids. Their parents were hunters. You might know the families, Maxwell and Grey. They were partners. Maxwell died and Grey took in his daughter, Same demon caught up to Grey a few weeks ago."

"I heard about that through the grapevine. It was assumed the kids got killed too." Bobby said with a shake of his head.

"Mary knows how. She knows how to research, she knows weapons. But she doesn't hunt. So far it hasn't become an issue for her." Dean said. Probably because as she grew older she learned the story behind her father's scars, if not see her uncle stitch up new ones. "But two more kids for Sammy, then he'll be caught up to Jack. Then maybe they can stop competing."

"I'm not competing with Jack." Sam said rolling his eyes. "He's always accusing us of that." He shook his head. " Jack and I cant figure that one out."

Bobby and Dean exchanged a glance and a quiet chuckle. Bobby had been Sam's sounding board for years on his jealousy toward Jack, and he was willing to bet Jack's wife was the sounding board for Jack's jealousy of Sam. Strange relationship, but at least they were getting along now!

"Dude, you tried to hijack his wedding. We still don't know why." Dean said with a laugh.

"I didn't hijack his wedding... I was just... helping was all. Not my fault the bride had some strange notion it was all about her." Sam said, blushing a little. He had missed Dean's wedding and knew there wouldn't be another one for his older brother. So he had tried to compensate for that with Jack's.

"Uh huh." Dean said. "Well, Bobby, we're going to go get a hotel and a bite to eat. No terrorizing the nurses, got it? I mean that." Dean said. "Bad enough what you did to the roommates you used to have."

Bobby grinned. "Don't have roommates anymore, now do I?" He said. "Don't worry about a hotel. Just head on out to my place. Check on the dog for me. Not sure I trust the people that were supposed to go out there and check on him. "

"Probably because they're afraid of him." Dean said with a laugh. "We'll go check on Rumsfeld." Who, like his master, shouldn't have lived this long. "We'll take him home with us, okay?"

"Thank you. I would feel better if he were with you. His vitamins and food are under the sink." The dog was old enough that he needed special care, and under that gruff exterior, Bobby was enough of a softy to make sure that he got it.

"Got it." Dean said as they headed out. Dean took a look around the house. "Damn." He said. It was worse than usual. Someone had come by and made sure Rumsfeld was fed, but that was about it.

The aging dog was obviously pining the absence of his human companion, but lifted his head at the Winchesters, managing a quiet "oof" of greeting.

"Looks like Bobby has been declining for a while." Sam said as he knelt to scratch the dog behind the ears. "It's alright boy, you'll get him back, we promise."

Dean set out the vitamins and some fresh water, he and Mary had nearly the same routine for her dog, as he looked around the place. "Yeah, looks like." He said, throwing out old food that had rotted while he was in the hospital. "Damn, this place is going to be hell to pack up."

"Yeah I know. I think we need to take it in stages. Or hire help because this is... a lot of stuff. He has more books than we have stuff in general. I'm amazed at his research material."

"Who we gonna hire?" Dean asked. "Can't hire regular people, not with this stuff. Can't hire most hunters, they'll make off with half of it." He said with a sigh. "Stages is probably best, drag everyone out here except Ben." Since some of this stuff would be...uncomfortable...to say the least, to the demon in question.

"Yeah, no doubt. Let's get some sleep. We got a long drive tomorrow. I'll start calling around about boxes and moving trucks when we get home. "

Dean chuckled. "You're a wimp. Long drive? Please. It's just from South Dakota to Texas. That's your definition of long?" He said as he found bedding, since who knew when the last time that spare room had even been entered, and tossed Sam his share.

"Two day drive? Long." Sam said. "Remember, I was never the one that wanted my butt permanently attached to a car seat." Sam said taking the spare blankets and pillows.

"Yeah, I remember. Just for you, I'll make the drive last only a day and a half, okay?" Dean said with a chuckle as he laid down the salt lines and all the other protections.

"Jerk." Sam said with a laugh.

It watched the brothers as they set their protections in place. A pity. It had hoped to take them in their sleep.

Dean looked out the window, he thought he had seen something. But nothing was there. So he figured it was just his imagination acting up on him. After all, road trip with his brother...what were the chances of something happening? Because they were pretty damn good, he just expected it.

"Get your ass to sleep, bitch. So you're not whining you're tired tomorrow." Dean said with an easy laugh as he got into the bed he had staked out for himself.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N Sorry for the delay. A little infection turned into a second hospital stay and surgery on my hand. But there is hurt!Dean here for those who have been patient enough to wait for more. Please R&R, feedback is like a paycheck... and lets us know what people like!

SPNSPNSPN

Tessa followed Dean around the house as they helped Bobby get settled into his rooms. She liked Dean. He reminded her of her real father. It was the eyes. Not the color, not even the shape, but the way they would soften when he looked at the people he loved, the way they seemed to say everything that he didn't. Didn't need to with eyes like that.

Sam was alright, she supposed she could live with him if she had to. It was better than going to complete strangers. But she wanted to stay with Dean.

Dean didn't mind that she was quiet. More like silent. At least she wasn't creepy, she was a cute kid, even with everything she'd been through. And since Mary was going through her boisterous teenage period, sometimes quiet was a relief.

"Okay, Bobby, that's the last box." He said, taking a light box from Tessa and setting it on a shelf. It had taken four weeks to pack up the house, working in shifts. And get his house ready, with less steep stairs and the like. Plus his business. A hunt on top of that. And Sam adopting two kids. Well, it was going to be finalized soon anyway.

Bobby nodded and looked around what had once been Dean's family room, and was now his living room. "Yep... looks like I've moved in." He said moving over to sit down in his chair, Rumsfeld following close behind. "It feels good to be out of the hospital... what ever you want to call it."

"It was a rehab." Dean said. "Got you stronger, after all. Besides, that one supervisor...she was cute. Knew I picked a good one for you. Tessa, can you go over to the bags over there and find Rumsfeld's bones?" He was always finding her little things to do, the look in her eyes was one of someone who was eager to please. He remembered being that kid once upon a time.

She smiled brightly and nodded running over to start searching for the dog treats.

"That kid has taken a definite liking to you." Bobby said as he adjusted to get comfortable. "Sam, don't worry about alphabetizing the damned things." He called out. "It won't last more than a week anyway." He shook his head, watching Sam go at his books like child in a toy shop. "In fact," he said to Dean once more in quiet tones, "I think she seems more comfortable with you than Mr. Dewey Decimal over there."

"That's because he's Mr Dewey Decimal." Dean said with a chuckle as he sat down on one of the overstuffed chairs and handed Bobby a beer, opening his own. "The kid's a survivor, gotta always give her that. I'm sure she'll do fine with Sam. He did wonders with Kevin."

"He's a good father." Bobby said with a nod. "Just saying she is attached to you. It's a good thing. Even for a survivor... maybe especially for a survivor."

"We both saw our parents, at least in my case my mom, get killed by a demon." Dean said with a shrug. "I don't know, maybe she can tell. Kids are smart, even when they don't say anything." He watched her play with Rumsfeld, or at least sit by the aged dog and feed him dog bone biscuits. "I don't know, maybe I should talk to Sam."

"I think maybe you should. He only wants what's best for the kids. Don't think he would mind sharing one... since she isn't Simon's sister after all."

"And you're not really an uncle. If you want to put it that way." Dean pointed out. In every sense of the word except for genetics, Bobby was an uncle. "He was looking forward to having both of them, I don't want him to think I just swoop in and take one of them away, you know? I mean, this is his gig and all."

"Well, talking to me isn't going to do you much good in sorting that out. You need to talk to Sam... and then to the kids. Cause Simon seems to have taken to Sam's little family like a duck to water."

Dean laughed a bit at that. Though it was true. Simon already considered Kevin pretty much an older brother. "Yeah, guess I should." He said. "I'll go do that while Tessa plays with Rumsfeld. Swear that dog perks up just for her."

Bobby laughed. "He has a weakness for the ladies. The younger the better. Course it could be cause she feeds him those dog treats any time he wags his tail for her."

"That could be it." Dean said with a laugh as he got up to find the first person he should talk to about this. Which was Mary, not Sam. "Hey, Mare." He said, leaning against her car. She was performing routine maintainance on it, as she had been well schooled to do long before she could legally drive. "Got a question."

"I suppose that means I have to come up with an answer." She said as she straightened up and wiped her hands off on a rag. "Wow this is a bit of a role reversal. Usually it's me interrupting you under the hood."

Dean grinned. "It was bound to happen eventually." He said with a chuckle. "Don't look so alarmed, it's not an end of the world question. Or any prying into what you consider your private life, promise. I was just noticing that Tessa seems to like it around here, is all."

"Yeah she does." Mary said with a smile. "She follows you around like a puppy, you know. It's cute." She could remember doing much the same at that age.

"Cute?" Dean said with a laugh. "I guess it could be. So I was just thinking. You know, Bobby moved in. Sam and Kevin moved out. I don't know, maybe Tessa could have Kevin's old room."

Mary nodded. "That could work out. Solves my worrying about you not having a girl to take care of you." She teased with a smile. "Think Sam will like the idea? I'm pretty sure Tessa would love it."

"Haven't gotten that far yet." Dean said. "Figured I'd ask you first. Heard at one of those meetings for college at your school how stability and some semblance of control is important to a teenager. Disrupt them too much, and they're liable to start listening to whiny teen pop music before they go shoot up a seven eleven. I was tempted to say you'd never make it out of the house after listening to music like that, I'd shoot you first, but figured it wouldn't go over that well."

Mary laughed. "Nah... besides I can't shoot worth a damn anyway. They'd be safe no matter what I listened to ... besides... those kids are always the ones bullied in school. I solved that problem in 4th grade. "

"Yeah and I got called to the school for that one." Dean said with a laugh. "I should have expected it, your grandfather used to get called to my school all the time. So I'll go talk to Sam. You're sure?"

"I'm sure. She's a good kid. Not much for conversation but what the heck, means she'll be good at keeping all those sisterly secrets."

"She'll talk. When she's ready." Dean said. "And don't forget to tighten those plugs before you close the hood." He said as he went off to find Sam.

Sam had set the boys to unpacking the books and setting them on the shelves, having walked away since Bobby was insistent that he was being to nit picky about how they went. Then again Bobby had so many books that there hadn't been enough shelf space for them in his old place.

"Think we might need more shelves." Dean said when he found Sam. "You okay? Bobby is just being...Bobby. He's cranky."

"Yeah I'm fine. Just taking a break... moving away from the books before they start calling me OCD again." He said with a laugh. "How about you? This is a big change."

"Okay, alphabetizing them was a little extreme." Dean said with a laugh. "It'll be fine. Bobby's got the space, Rumsfeld has Ginger Bear. I don't have to try and figure out how to cook for two..." He'd never cooked for two since Mary was born.

"That works out for you then. Rachel and I are house hunting. That's been a drama all its own." Sam said rolling his eyes.

"I can imagine." Dean said with a laugh. "The secret is finding a nice good sized house that's haunted. They'll let you have it an incredibly good price." That was how he got his house after all. "So you're really all high on adopting Simon and Tessa, huh?"

"They need to be in a hunter family. They are great kids too. Simon and Kevin have really hit it off. Kevin is good for him. Pulls him out of his shell."

"He does. Kevin will make a good big brother." Dean said. "I know they have to be in a hunter family, I get that. It's understandable, with what they went through and everything." He had no idea how to bring this up at all. So he decided to just bite the bullet on that one. "I was thinking Tessa might want to stay here is all."

Sam tilted his head a little, then nodded after a moment's thought. "Yeah I think you might be right." He said and smiled. "She really seems to have taken to you. We should talk to her and Simon though, see if they want to be separated. If it's alright with them, it's alright with me."

"All right." Dean said with a nod. "They're probably inside trying to get Bobby to tell some old hunter story or something." At least Kevin and Simon would be.

"Let's go to it then. Bobby was saying there was something in his stuff that he had for me. He might be relieved for a moments peace to find it." Sam said with a laugh. "Besides, we want to get them away from the stories before they learn too much about Dad."

"Or worse, us." Dean said with a laugh. "Mary went to visit him in the rehab place, came home laughing her curly head off at the stories Bobby told her about us as kids."

They headed in where Bobby was trying to tell the kids where to put everything. "No, all demonology has to go by Christian relics. Otherwise demons can come destroy it." Bobby said. "Surround it by relics like that, they can't touch it. Or at least they don't want to. Ask Ben."

"Hey, mind if we borrow Simon and Tessa for a few minutes?" Sam asked.

Bobby shrugged. "Fine by me." He said as he started looking through one of the thick tomes.

Tessa looked up at the two of them quizzically, but got to her feet, reluctantly leaving Rumsfeld's side.

"What's up?" Simon asked.

"Okay, well, you two know that Sam here is about to finalize the adoption, right?" Dean said. The two kids nodded, though they tried to hide a look of terror that something had come up. That they'd go to a foster home after all, or one of those horrible orphanages one saw on TV. "Well, we were talking a bit, Sam and me, and I thought it would be a good idea if Tessa came to live with me instead. You two would see each other all the time anyway, same school, and Sam's constantly coming over to steal my food, so...well, it's up to you two."

Simon looked at Tessa. "What do you want to do?" He asked her. "It's okay what ever you want." He loved Tessa, but she wasn't like a sister to him. Not really. He didn't know why either.

Tessa smiled at him then pounced on Dean, hugging him tightly.

"Okay." Dean said with a laugh. "I guess that's settled. Mary will take you out later for stuff for your room." Because Mary jumped at any chance to spend her father's credit card, like any teenager.

Meanwhile, in Bobby's room, Ben flared in. Smoke still rising off him, but it had nothing to do with how he traveled, more with where he had been. "Got it." He said, handing a carefully wrapped package to Bobby. It was the other half of what Bobby wanted to show Sam later. Had taken major convincing on Bobby's part to get Ben to go there. But he didn't have the time to go through official channels, since his one connection was long dead now. But Ben had a stake in it too, through Jack, and Jack's children.

"Thank you." Bobby said, as he took the piece he already had out of its protective sheath, then opened the package Ben carried, placing the two pieces of papyrus together, he smiled. "Perfect." He said.. "We have it..." he looked up at Ben. "This is the one."

"Good. Because I'm not going back in there. This was held in a far more secure place than that ritual we used on Maggie." He said shaking his head. "I'm telling you, it was the worst torture I've had in a long time. Really not into me being in pain either."

"I can understand that one." Bobby said, but he also knew that sometimes the pain was worth enduring. "But this just might finish the battle for us. Sorry it hurt like that, but glad you went none the less."

"You're not sorry. I hate liars." Ben said. "You wouldn't have cared if I ended up dying because of this as long as I got the fucking paper back to you first. That's fine, but at least be honest. The only reason I did this is because Jack might be on his hit list, and that I can't allow."

"Wouldn't have liked it if you bit it, but the thought that it might have happened wouldn't have made me any less willing to ask you to do it." Bobby said honestly. "How's that for ya?"

"Better. You young people, you should really learn to be honest." Ben said. "And you owe me. I would have called it even if you had come to my funeral, but you couldn't even do that. Like a broken hip's a good excuse not to come to a demon's funeral."

"I've been trying to escape that damned place since they put me in it. Don't blame me for that one." Bobby said with a laugh.

"Blame you for what?" Sam asked as they returned to Bobby's space.

"The fact that he missed my funeral." Ben said. "And you two let him get away with that."

"We didn't let him get away with that. We were afraid if he left he'd run off." Dean said with a laugh. "It was a nice funeral though, strippers galore. Until the dead guy's bratty cousin decided to start a scene with how great the dead guy was and all. That was distracting."

Bobby laughed. "I could see how that could be. So I have something you boys will be interested in. Ben here helped me get half of it." He said as he set the two pieces of papyrus side by side on the coffee table.

"Okay." Dean said as he looked at it, then looked at Bobby and Ben.

"Don't worry about it." Ben said with a shrug. "I'm willing to bet there's only two people in this room that can read that, right Sam?"

Sam nodded, his face a little paler. "It's his name." He breathed, and let out a breathy laugh. "It's his name." He repeated a little more firmly, a smile beginning to form. "Dean... it's the demon's name. His true name... in angelic script... not something people assigned him... but the real damned thing." His eyes were shining brightly and his hands shook.

"Dude, are you going to cry?" Dean asked, worriedly. "Okay, that's great. Something concrete we can work with, we can end this. But bro, we can't end this if you're crying."

Sam laughed then. "I'm not crying." He said, although he supposed he was nearly hyperventilating with the excitement of it all. He could see his true freedom laying there on two ancient bits of paper.

"Can't end it right now anyway." Ben said. "Because there's still a whole lot of work to be done on that scene. I'm just glad he didn't end up being someone I play poker with. Because everyone at that table owes me money."

"Right now? No, but this actually makes it possible for me to destroy him with the right ritual. Not just send him to hell." Sam said. "This is... hope."

"This is we strike at him before he goes after Jack." Ben said. "I've seen enough of what he did to you two. And keep him away from the rest of the kids too. But you guys have no idea what you're messing with. That was so deep in the Vatican, thought I was really going to die there for a moment."

"I know what I am dealing with." Sam said, and he did. He had just failed to share his vision from so long ago. "Lucifer's right hand man... his brother for lack of a better way of putting it. " All angels were bretheren but this was different. This was a bond forged in the war, and those ran deep no matter who you were.

"So, good luck with that." Ben said. "I got a poker game at seven. Hey, Bobby, wanna come? You look like you play poker."

"Bobby. In a room with demons and who knows what else?" Dean said laughing.

"I think I'll pass... unless you wanna drop in for a poker game full of hunters and priests." Bobby said with a grin.

"It's not just demons." Ben said with a roll of his eyes. "You're so judgemental. Fine, I'll go find another player."

"So you got anything on a ritual we can use for that?" Dean asked either man.

"Not yet. But now that we have the full paper, it might be easier to track down." Bobby said.

Sam nodded. "We should keep these safe... not that I will be forgetting that name any time soon, but that isn't the point. They were kept separately all this time for a reason. "

Bobby nodded and slid his half back into its protective cover and rewrapped the half that Ben had brought with careful, arthritic, but still knowledgable hands. "All right." He said and handed that half to Sam. "There's your half. I'll continue to keep this half."

Sam nodded. "Sounds good. Wow... I might actually be able to get married one day after all." He shook his head "Okay... what else needs to be done around here? Rachel and I are looking at a house down the street in ..." He looked at his watch. "45 minutes."

"We're good. Just have to let Bobby organize." Dean said. Since they'd all learned to let Bobby do that himself. He had his own system, and it was the only one that worked for him.

"Great." Ben said. "Then I'm going to Jack's for a bit. After rifling through the Vatican, I need to be told how great I am."

"Yeah, Jack is good at that." Sam said. "So do you mind if I leave the kids here while we look at the house? I want to talk to Rachel about Tessa before I call the church social worker about it."

"Nah, that's fine." Dean said. "Kevin and Simon will probably be sitting on the floor as Bobby entertains them, the girls have the dogs...it's a good trade off. Remember, Jack's doing another barbeque tonight. Now I know for sure that guy was raised by a fire demon. He enjoys barbequeing more than any other man I've ever met."

"Its a Texan thing" Sam said with a laugh. "It wont take us long to look at the house. I'll arrange for the social worker to come by and see you tomorrow, so we can get things moving for Tessa to become my niece instead of my daughter. " Sam was proud of his brother for taking in the girl.

Dean swallowed. "Social worker?" He said. He liked Rachel just fine, thought she was good for his brother, but social workers invading his house with their little clipboards, checking things off on a list...no, he didn't like that idea. "Do I have to be here?" With their little clip boards and wide fake smiles, judging him, his life, his family, his child rearing abilities...

"Yeah... you do. They need to talk to you, make sure that you really want Tessa. Dean... they are in the know. They arent gonna freak about the weapons or the salt and brick. " Sam said hoping to reassure his brother. "Your daughter is well adjusted, your home is clean and safe. You have nothing to worry about. "

"Mary," Dean called out to his daughter as she passed. "Are you well adjusted?"

"Nope, I'm a massacre waiting to happen." She said as she grabbed Tessa for their shopping expedition. "And from my bell tower perch, I'll be sure to think of something to blame you for."

"Gee, thanks." Dean said with a chuckle. "Mary doesn't have to talk to the social worker, does she?"

"Yes she does, but don't worry. If she rats you out, I'll make sure she spends the next 6 months in church instead of the mall."

Tessa giggled as she was lead out the door by Mary who just turned and stuck her tongue out at Sam .

"And that's why I continue to be the 'fun uncle'." Ben said with a laugh. Because when he got stuck with the kids, he only had a few rules. One, the remote was his. Two, don't wreck anything. And three, he didn't do dishes. "Bobby's settled, going to pick up the steaks."

"See ya Ben." Dean said with a chuckle. "Okay, fine I'll talk to the social worker. Think you can get me a cute one?"

"No... because the one cute one there, I am marrying one day." Sam told him. "And I had better get out the door before that cute social worker kills me.. I'm late." He said grabbing his keys. "We'll meet you at Jack's place."

"Absolutely." Dean said. "See you later." He did some work around the house, and was about to mow his lawn when the phone rang. He picked it up and the first thing he heard was pounding. "Mary? Mary is that you?" He said, ice running down his spine and filling his veins.

"Daddy!?" She said, trying to keep the hysteria out of her voice. "We- we're in the mall... in a-a storage room on the 3rd floor, and something is trying to get in... I've salted the door but it's still out there... it tried to grab Tessa." Mary was the only kid in school that carried a small canister of salt in her purse at all times, as well as a nose spray container full of holy water.

"Mary, Mary, honey stay calm." Dean said as he grabbed his car keys. "Bobby, watch the boys, Mary's got car trouble." He said as he dashed out the door and sped toward the mall, keeping his daughter on the phone as he drove. "Okay, I'm here. Don't let anyone in that room. If it's me, I'll pick the lock." Not to mention be able to step over the salt.

Whatever was after Tessa had made a mess of the mall. The cops were already there, along with paramedics and the fire department. He hung up with Mary and shook his head as he got a few weapons out of the trunk, hiding them awkwardly on him. As long as he didn't have to bend over, he'd be fine. If he did, they'd see the barrel of his shotgun sticking out of the back of his coat.

Getting in was the hardest part. Lots of lying to cops and hope they bought it. "There's something crawling out of the basement!" He said and circumvented the cops as they got on their radios. Idiots, they couldn't handle this anyway. The power was shut off to the mall, didn't matter, Dean didn't plan on using the elevator or the escalator to the third floor.

The demon was easy enough to find. It was pounding and roaring. "Hey!" He yelled at the demon and blasted it full of rock salt. It got back up and roared at Dean. Batting him around like a rag doll for a bit until Dean ran out of options and went for the last ditch effort. Cutting its freaking heart out with his knife. A whole lot easier said than done, but finally accomplished. Sore, feeling like the wind got knocked out of him, he picked the lock and opened the door. "You girls okay?"

Tessa ran for the man, nearly knocking him over as she connected.

"Yeah, we're okay, Dad." Mary said in relief and leaned against the wall. "But you aren't, do we need to get you to a doctor or will Uncle Jack do?" She asked, stepping forward and looking him over with a practiced eye.

Tessa looked up at him wide eyed, afraid that she was going to lose him too.

"Just some scrapes and bruises." Dean said. "Ice and a shower, some painkillers, and of course beer, and I'll be as good as new." He said. He'd be hurting in the morning, but he'd come out of it a lot better than the demon had. He gave Mary a look, not so much telling her to back off, but just to back off around the young child clinging to him. "I'm not going anywhere."

The little blonde nodded and kept her arms wrapped around Dean and nodded. He hadn't died. He hadn't left her like the others.

"Cool. That will give us time to get this all situated in her new room." Mary said taking her cues from her father. "Am I good or what? Running for our lives from a demon and I didn't drop the bags, the kid, or the cell phone. " Which elicited a silent giggle from Tessa.

"Oh, you're awesome." Dean said with a chuckle as Mary gathered up the bags. They stepped wide around the demon's fallen corpse as Dean put an arm around Mary's shoulder, his other arm holding Tessa up on his side. "Can't wait to see how they spin this on the news tonight."

Mary laughed. "I don't know, but let's try and avoid the press on the way out. I don't want to have to spin this at school." She said. She knew that at her age, her father would have taken on the demon himself and probably come up with the same out come that they had seen just now. She wasn't that good... or maybe it was just that she wasn't that willing to sacrifice herself just yet. Sometimes she wondered that her father was still alive. And he wondered why she worried...

Dean laughed. "Good point. Would hate to cause you any embarrassment." He teased as they went the back way out of the mall, avoiding the cops and media. "Tessa..." He hated to ask this, but... "was that the demon that killed your parents?"

She swallowed hard then, and nodded. "And Simon's." She said, whisper soft. The first she had spoken since the death of Simon's family.

Dean nodded. "It's over." He assured her. That demon wouldn't be coming back for anything. Or anyone for that matter.

"He won't come back? Sometimes they come back." Tessa said. "This one comes back a lot."

"This one won't." Dean said. He'd cut the freaking heart out. He was just so sorry that the girl's first words in so long had to do with the demon. "But since you're talking, how about you come with me, and we'll find some favorite food of yours to bring to the BBQ tonight."

She smiled and nodded. "Do I still get to come live with you?" She asked, knowing that she and Simon had been sent to the Winchesters because the demon was chasing them.

"Absolutely." Dean said. Her parents and Simon's parents were still deceased. They might have been thrown into the path of the Winchesters because everyone thought either him or Sam would be able to deal with whatever came their way, but it didn't change the fact that their parents were dead.

"Okay." She said smiling, taking Mary's hand in her free hand as they walked to the car.

Jack and Ben were having their normal argument over the settings of the grill, with Ben insisting it needed more fire. Bobby was settled into a lawn chair with a beer as the kids circled around the food and the adults, Mary, Kevin and Mark insisting they were allowed to be in on adult conversations because, well, they were adults, right? Dean stopped off for more beer, appearing with a few cases (way too many heavy drinkers for a simple six pack to do). "Hey, I miss anything?"

"Not much. Mary regaled us with the demon infested shopping mall story. Good job." Sam said. "Rachel and I have decided to buy the house... and the social worker is going to meet you tomorrow morning at 10. "

"Dude, I'm bruised." Dean said. "Really not the impression I wanted to impart. Even if she isn't cute."

"I can cover up those bruises easily." Kaylie said, far too innocently. "A little coverup, some powder..."

"Dean, you forget she knows. About Demons... and since you killed the one that has been tormenting Tessa and Simon.. I think she'll forgive a few scuff marks."

"Yeah, well, we'll see." Dean said with a shrug. "But that thing followed them to the mall. You know, that bugs me. It was so after these kids that it would go in public like that."

"Demon activity has been ramping up over the last few months." Bobby said. "I think what we used to think was a storm was the calm before it."

"You guys have no idea." Ben said, ramping up the fire once Jack turned his back for a moment. "I'm serious, talk down on the demon world...well, it's not very favorable toward humanity right now."

"Are we talking Apocalypse? Because my schedule is really full right now. Don't think I'll be able to pencil that one in until next year." Dean said.

"Don't think they care." Bobby said, adjusting in his seat. "You closed that devil's gate in Kansas and set back his plans a mite. They're gonna be looking for alternatives."

"Oh nice." Dean said with a roll of his eyes. "You know, I'm sick of this. I'd like one big problem to deal with at a time. Instead of a lot of big problems all at once. The yellow eyed demon, the end of the world, Mary dating..."

"Hey!" Mary exclaimed. "So not a problem."

"Hey the other two we can do something about." Sam said. "Mary dating... you're stuck with."

Jack laughed. "Yeah... I can tell which one of those he is freaked out about the most."

"Oh just wait. Just wait until Abby decides she wants to date." Dean said. "Then we'll see how funny you think it is. In fact, I see a whole scene in my head of Jack freaking out. Guaranteed you'll ask if it's completely wrong to build a tower to hide her in."

"He'll be fine." Kaylie said. "Such a double standard. No one has a problem with the idea of the boys dating. And just remember, if daughters weren't allowed to date...none of you would be here. And two of you would be childless."

"Every one would be childless." Sam pointed out. "But Dean doesn't want all girls not to date. Just his." He teased. "You sure you wanna live with this guy?" He asked Tessa.

She nodded. "Boys are icky." She said.

"You spoke!" Simon exclaimed.

Dean grinned. "Yes she did." He said. "And she's imparting words of wisdom too."

"See, at least if Jack had been a girl, I'm all prepared with that whole fire controlling and teleporting thing." Ben said, getting the steaks off the grill.

"If I had been a girl, you would be completely grey haired by now." Jack said. "If not bald. Kaylie's father is bald."

"Boys are only icky until they are14 or so then they start to get over it." Mary told Tessa.

"No they don't. We continue to be icky until you're sixty or so." Dean said. He grinned at Jack. "You have a whole lot more sympathy for him, don't you?"

"Oh I think he's forgiven my father's threats to literally castrate him by now." Kaylie said as she cut up Abby and Ben's (child Ben) steak.

"I wouldn't go that far, but I don't think he was completely out of line." Jack said.

"That means only Uncle Bobby isn't icky." Tessa said, giving Dean a look.

"She's got you there, Dad." Mary said. "Uncle Bobby and Uncle Ben."

"Very funny." Dean said.

"Oh I try to stick in my own age group." Bobby said.

Ben snorted. "Do you know how unbelievably difficult that is for me to do?" He pointed out. "Did you tell Jack yet about...that other thing?"

"What other thing?" Jack asked.

"Not yet." Sam said, figuring they were going to have to now. He hadn't really thought about telling Jack.

"And I repeat... what other thing?"

"Dude, time and place for everything." Dean said, giving meaningful glances to the kids around them.

Ben shook his head and pulled out some money and handed it Mary. "Go get me some cigarettes. The guy down the street will sell them to you." He said. "And whatever all the other kids want."

"Come on guys, let's go...Kev- I could use your help with this" Mary knew he would want to stay but he could get into the big boy conversations later.

Dean covered his face with his hands as the kids departed. "My underage daughter is buying cigarettes for a demon." He said, shaking his head. "If that's not a sign of the apocalypse, I don't know what is."

Bobby looked at the brothers. "Well, I was working on something before I took my little fall. Ben here helped me with the rest of it, seeing as he's far more mobile and likely to commit breaking and entering than I am these days."

"I wouldn't call it breaking and entering...nothing was broken. Believe me, I tried to touch as little as possible." Ben interjected.

Jack looked between Ben and Bobby then back to his brothers. "And what was this something?" It was never good when the kids were sent away.Very little was kept from them.

"The true name of the yellow eyed demon." Sam supplied, having learned over the years that Jack had little patience for sugar coating things.

"What exactly do you plan to do with that little tidbit of information?" Oh this was definitely not good.

"Kill the damn thing." Dean said with a casual shrug. "Cause I'll be damned if I wait with a thumb up my ass for it to decide it wants to play with us again."

"I helped because it stands to reason that if he raises his head again, it'll be after the next generation of Winchesters. Last name or not, your kids count." Ben said to Jack.

Jack nodded. "So how do you kill it with its name?"

"It adds power to a summoning, and exorcism. I can destroy him in the exorcism, not just banish him." Sam said. "But it will make what you guys did for me look like a casual evening."

"Yeah, it'll be fun had for all." Dean said. "Look, we got a lot of prep work to do yet. Might be a few months before we can even start. Because we got one shot at this. Has to be done, this son of a bitch killed my mother, killed our father, and he's still out there."

"And he has been planning this war for a long time. He lost me as an option and has probably been waiting for the next generation to get old enough to manipulate."

"You guys just don't know how to make a big announcement that doesn't involve the possible death and for sure injury of one of you, do you?" Kaylie asked, shaking her head.

"Why do things by halves?" Dean said with a shrug.

"I'm buying a house, and getting married a year from now." Sam offered up with a grin. "Provided Rachel doesn't come to her senses."

"A year from now?" Kaylie said with a grin. At last, some happy news from those two! "Good. I should be skinny by then. Plus gives you all incentive to survive this exorcism thing."

"Skinny by then? What do you mean skinny by then? You are nowhere near fat, woman." Sam said.

"Yeah, well...she will be in about 6 months." Jack teased, ducking as his wife playfully swatted at him. "We're having another baby."

"You ain't figured out what causes that?" Bobby asked with a laugh.

"They're spaced out! Stop acting like we're having them all a year apart." Kaylie said with a laugh. Their oldest, after all, was thirteen.

"I figured you were done once Jack finally got a kid with his last name that looks like him." Dean said.

"Yeah, cause the one named after him looks just like you at that age." Bobby pointed out. "All he is missing is that hang dog expression."

"Congratulations. But don't you think it's a bit much to make her go through pregnancy again just so that I don't catch up in number of children? I gave one to Dean so he didn't feel left out, come on." Sam teased.

"I'm hoping for a girl. This family needs a little more estrogen." Kaylie said. "So Tessa and Simon are going to be all right now?"

"Uh...I don't know." Dean said. "That demon was following them pretty hard. Right into the middle of the mall actually."

"That's a hard core fixation. Sounds like something wanted to wipe out the family entirely. Do you think there might be another one after them?" Jack asked.

Dean shrugged. "Don't know." He said.

"What the demon look like?" Ben asked. "It was...big. And kinda scaly..." Dean said, then grabbed one of the littler kids' crayons and a napkin and drew a rough sketch. Dean was no artist by any meaning of the word, but Ben got the drift as he looked at the drawing. "These things travel in packs." Ben said.

Sam frowned. "Are they known for being vengeful?" He asked, this didn't bode well at all. If the kids were being hunted down by a pack of demons ...

"Looks like we need to turn the tables on them before they come after the kids again." Jack said.

"Your average demon has a long memory. And holds grudges." Ben said. He would know, he fell into that category quite nicely. "Throw in a pack mentality, yeah, they'll be coming after the kids."

"Most likely Tessa most of all. Her dad was the first killed, her dad probably pissed it off first." Dean said.

"This type of demon, the hunters are female. The males are collectors." Ben said. It bothered him when demons were referred to as 'it.' It would probably bother a human if he was referred to as an it as well.

"Collectors?" Sam asked. "What do you mean collectors? As in keeping trophies like a serial killer or keeping people like we keep pets."

"Just for the record, humans as pets is highly underrated." Ben said. "But like pets. Sometimes trophies. But like pets on a farm. Like that pig in that kid's book that reads spider webs, you remember that one, right Jack? You loved it. You know, the little brat named the pig, but it was going to be a side of bacon, maybe some sausage. The females hunt. Stalk, capture, kill. When pissed, they skip the capture part and go straight for the kill. But the humans can't be food then. They have to, well, they have to be eaten alive. It's a digestion thing. The females are the ones we see. The guys stay home and tend the hearth and the offspring until the females capture some dinner. The guys come collect it and bring it on home. But they're worse than a high school clique, the females. You piss one off, you piss them all off. And it's a really bad idea to kill a mate. Or worse, one of their kids. They don't look too favorably on that."

"Great, so Tessa's father and Simon's father probably did one of those two things, and now they want the kids as payback." Dean said.

Sam's jaw twitched. "So what sort of places do they nest in?" Even if they weren't after the kids, he didn't like the idea of them around collecting humans in his area.

Ben exhaled and shook his head. "You know, I know you guys look at me like an easy reference book on demons. Just remember there might be a demon out there selling out to other hunters about me. And I can think of only three hunters who really give a shit about the different types of demon. To everyone else, a demon is a demon. Much like to these demons, all humans are snack food, pure and simple." He said. "Fine, they like wet areas. So if they're in town and are squatting, check sewers and under docks."

"Thanks." Sam told him."I know it's not your favorite thing to do, to give us information, but we don't start asking questions until people start dying. A lot of people died at that mall today. If you want me to stop asking, I will."

"It's just...there are rules. I'm selling out demons, truth be told. Could come back to bite me, and since they can't kill me...well, you do the math." Ben said as he lit a cigarette.

"But wet spaces, that's where they'll be. And Dean was right on the money, gotta cut their hearts out. They're not possessing demons, they're like me, so exorcisms won't work."

Sam nodded. "Very few things exorcisms work on- if you aren't an aging russian exorcist." He said with a sad smile. "I understand that it's not something that you are supposed to do. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Ben said with a sigh. "I can't believe I've got hunters counted as my people. I should be ashamed of myself. At the very least I should beat some sense into Jack." The extent of what hunters had done to him, and people around him because they were around him, throughout his life was known only to him. He liked to keep it that way.

"We'll start that after dinner." Dean said as the kids came back with cigarettes, soda and lots of sugary snacks. "At least it'll get us away from them until they burn themselves out."

Sam laughed. "Right... working on beating sense into Jack after dinner."

"Hey!" Jack said. "You know for a middle child, you sure are a spoiled brat."

"Dont look at me." Sam said. "Thats all his fault." He said pointing at Dean.

"Dude! You're selling out your own brother? There's gratitude for you." Dean said. "I take no responsibility whatsoever. Had no idea what I was doing. He was my practice dummy for actual fatherhood."

"Yeah right." Sam said.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Practice dummy huh. Well, half right." He ducked the roll that Sam threw at him.

"Why do I bother having children? I can just raise these three instead." Kaylie said with a sigh.

"Hey, look who we found." Kevin said. "She was picking up some food at the store we went to." He said as the kids entered the yard fully with Rachel in tow, who had had an emergency call, so she was coming late. She took one look at Dean's face and winced.

"Please tell me at least the other guy looks worse." She said.

"Actually it was a girl apparently. And yeah, definitely."

"Demon attack at the mall." Sam said as he got up to hug his fiance. "I told them that we're official now."

"Sounds like it's been a big day for everyone then." She said with a grin as she hugged Sam back. She wasn't too worried about Dean. He was standing here after all. Upright with no obvious bleeding that she could see.

"Well, we gotta keep ourselves entertained somehow." Dean said with a laugh as Ben knelt beside Abby and his little namesake.

"So did Mary get you two loads of sugar to torment your parents with?" He asked with a grin.

Abby nodded and smiled. "Yes, Uncle Ben." She said, although she knew it was more like Grampa.

Little Ben smiled with chocolate covered teeth and went to lick his fingers as he nodded.

Mary shrugged. "He told me to." She said indicating the elder Ben. "He did say anything they wanted."

Dean shook his head. "Man this is gonna suck." He said.

"Oh and that's worse than grown men throwing food at each other and threatening to kick each other's asses?" Kaylie asked.

"I didn't threaten to kick his ass." Sam and Jack said in unison, each feigning innocence.

"Hey and I didn't throw food, that was all the brat over there." Jack said.

Sam rolled his eyes. "He has no idea...even after all these years, no idea."

"What? That you're a brat?" Dean asked. "I think he's starting to get the drift. You're one too. I'm used to it. So, Jack, you in on this one?" He asked, about finding that pack of demons.

Jack nodded. "They're coming after family. Can't have that." He wasn't much of a hunter. It didn't thrill him to kill demons, or hunt down creatures that just want to be left alone. But something coming after family was going to die. He didn't care what it was.

Kaylie sighed. "I'll get the ice packs ready." She said. She wasn't all that comfortable with the Winchester version of family bonding, but it wasn't something she could argue him out of (not that she hadn't tried).

"Ice packs, hot packs, bandages...you know, I do more shopping for that stuff than I do for anything else." Rachel said.

"And we appreciate it." Sam said. "In the mean time...you kids need to not be anywhere alone. Not even the house."

"What?" Kevin asked. "You mean I'm not going with you? That's not fair. You're training me, and busting my ass after school every freaking day and I get to stay home on the night of the big show?"

"Kevin... this isn't a normal hunt." Sam explained. "I have a few things I am researching that you can help us with but not this." He knew it was going to be an argument but he wasn't his father, damn it. He wasn't going to use his children as bait or foot soldiers.

"Wrong. I'm going." Kevin said.

Dean looked at his brother. "Sam, you've been training the kid. We're going to be there. I think he should come, the more hands we have the better." He said.

"Dean does have a point. You're training him to hunt, and not letting him hunt? He's sixteen." Bobby said. "He should get his feet wet, all the training in the world counts for nothing without some experience."

"He's barely old enough to drive and date. " Sam said. "Even the military wouldn't let him risk his life yet." He sighed "Let's find out how many we are going after. Take it from there."

Kevin nodded, it was a compromise. He'd fight for it later if he had to, but he was going on this hunt.

"Mary, you've got point at home." Dean said. She could defend a house easily enough, it was fortified to begin with anyway.

Mary nodded. "Got it. Uncle Bobby and I can handle security at home."

"Okay...reconn is first I guess. Still have the maps of the sewer system around here?"

"Yeah I'll get it after dinner." Jack said knowing that his wife would kill him if they were talking about nothing but sewers and demons through dinner. Kaylie was fine with the after dinner part. Especially that it was after dinner. Even if the guys were all itching to do some research, especially poor Bobby. This was his chance to show up the kids after all! But dinner went by peacefully enough, with normal conversation. Well, normal for this family at least. She gathered up her youngest child as the sun started to set. "Come on kiddo, time for bed."

"But I'm not sleepy." Little Ben said as he lay his head on his mother's shoulder.

"I'll be back in a few." Jack said as he got up from the table to join his wife. "Abby come on sweetie, time for your bath."

Dean chuckled. "We'll be here. We've got plenty of beer." He said as his youngest brother helped his wife gather up their youngest children to get them ready for bed. He looked at Kevin. "If you're in on this, you absolutely have to do everything we tell you. No questioning, no hesitation, and absolutely no improv. Got it?"

Sam nodded. "One screw up and it won't just be us there that pay for it, son. You don't have anything to prove, not to me or to Dean. Understood?"

"Got it." Kevin said.

"Good. And it's not because you're a kid. Same rules applied to Jack when he first started, and he was older than you." Dean said. "It's just the way things go. Sam and I have been doing it longer, therefore we're in charge."

"You're lucky I can't go." Bobby said. "Because then I'd be in charge."

"We'll, he'd think he was." Sam teased. Fact was, when Sam and Dean hunted together there was little resembling 'in charge' involved. A lot of fly by the seat of their pants.

Dean laughed. "Yeah, we'd let him think he was. We'd be less likely to knocked around that way." He said with a grin. "You just be sure you're ready. Because once we're in it, there's no backing out."

"I'm ready." Kevin said firmly.

"This isn't how I wanted you to start out." Sam admitted. He had hopes for something small, maybe a haunting. "But this is it I suppose. " He nodded. "You're in, but if we say run, you beat feet and don't look back. Run doesn't mean ask why, then run. It means run."

"I got it! I got it!" Kevin said. "Do everything you guys tell me to and bitch about it later. Got it. Really, I do."

Rachel looked worriedly at Sam and Kevin. She had futilely hoped that the need and desire to hunt would fade in Kevin. She'd seen the scars on Dean, and she'd seen ALL of Sam's scars. "Be careful."

"We will be. We have children to adopt, a house to buy, wedding to plan. I don't have time to get hurt, and neither does Kevin." Sam said, half teasing. He slipped an arm around her and pulled her close.

This wasn't easy on her, marrying into a hunter family. Especially one as set in their ways as the Winchesters. She sighed and closed her eyes against him. It definitely wasn't easy. And part of her hoped one day he'd just lay down his arms and retire. Actually, a large part. A large part of her job was finding good homes for orphaned or neglected children. And through Sam, she'd learned about what was really out there, why some kids were in fact orphans.

Because creatures that shouldn't exist had come and turned their world upside down. It happened to endless parents, and it was still happening. And she couldn't convince herself one hundred percent that it wouldn't happen to Sam. Or his brothers.

"Might not have to plan your wedding." Dean said. "Kaylie might hijack it. She does owe you after all."

"That was how long ago? Let it rest, dude." Sam said, shaking his head. "Besides...as I was told it's all about the bride, right? So it would be Rachel's wedding she was hijacking." Dean laughed. "All right, all right. Don't say I didn't warn you though." He said. "She's probably in there looking for all sorts of wedding stuff she's been saving for just this occasion anyway."

"She'll have to settle for taking over one of the weddings for any of the kids. Which, odds are, will most likely be hers!" Rachel said, since Kaylie and Jack had more kids. "Then she can be the mother in law from hell. Don't worry, I can hold her off easily enough."

Jack laughed as he came out of the house, a little wet around the edges from his daughter's bath. "What's this? Samantha taking over weddings again?"

"You know I'm not to old to kick your ass." Sam said in reference to being called Samantha.

"If it's his own wedding, does it count as taking over?" Dean said, laughing as he took the sewer plans from Jack and spread them out on the table, reaching for another piece of grilled corn as he looked it over. "Okay, the mall is here. Doubt that the demon walked through the front door, so it came in probably through this line here."

"Makes sense." Bobby said as he peered over the schematic. "Probably some where in this area." He said indicating a section that would be off the beaten path for repairs.

Dean nodded. "Looks good to me." He looked at Jack, Kevin and Sam. "You guys ready? I say we put 'em down and buy Kevin his first beer in a bar."

"No to the beer in a bar. Might concede first drink of tequila at home, no bars at 16." Sam had to draw the line somewhere. Tru,e he thought some of the laws were a bit arbitrary but that didn't change that they existed. Or the trouble he could get into for bending them as a prospective adoptive parent.

"Fine." Dean said. "Same difference really. Mary, take Tessa and Bobby home and fortify the place." Bobby wasn't cleared to drive yet, and probably never would be again anyway.

"On it." Mary said as she started to gather things up.

"You want to stay at Dean's with Simon until we're done or here... or home?" Sam asked Rachel, this was an unusual circumstance as if they failed the thing would come after all them with a serious vengeance.

"We'll stay at Dean's." Rachel said. Just in case a few escaped. Wouldn't hurt to be in Dean's house.

"I'll stay here." Ben assured Jack.

"Thank you." Jack said, very much grateful for his foster father's ... unique heritage in times like these. Especially since nothing they were going after could actually kill him. But he didn't take it for granted either.

"Let's load up." Sam said with a decisive nod.

"God I love it when we bond." Dean said with a chuckle as he grabbed some food for the road. They decided to take one vehicle, and the Impala won. It was a tank for the most part, and loaded to the extreme. But they transferred weapons from other cars in the meanwhile. "How long has it been since we've been in the sewers? A year, maybe two?"

"Gotta say, sewer crawling is my least favorite type of hunt." Jack said.

"Wendigo are the worst." Sam said. "At least in the sewers we have an idea where they might be."

"I love the wendigo hunts." Dean said with a laugh. "So far I've been on three, and all three had beautiful women involved in them somehow."

"Dad, I thought you said it was wrong to use hunting as a way to pick up girls?" Kevin asked from the back with a grin.

"Your Uncle Dean can't help it. He sees a girl and his brain shuts down." Sam said with a grin.

"Shifts gears, but that's what you do when the gear shift is engaged." Jack said.

"You guys are funny." Dean said. "There's nothing wrong with taking advantage of some of the perks of the job when they come your way. Met my wife on a job, and no one said anything detrimental then."

"You didn't sleep with her right away either." Jack pointed out. "You two fell asleep on the sofa watching movies with all your clothes on. Not the same."

"But I eventually slept with her. As evidenced by, oh I don't know...Mary's whole existance." Dean said with a chuckle. "Wow, you guys need to make up your mind. I get shit for sleeping with women, and I get shit for NOT sleeping with women."

"Not giving you shit, just pointing out that Chavi was... different. From the beginning she was different." Jack said.

"Yeah, she was." Dean admitted with a nostalgic smile. "Why she put up with me, I have no idea." He said as he pulled into the spot. "All right, here we go."

"I asked her that question once. She said it was the eyes." Jack shook his head. "I didn't get it, she said of course not silly, you're a man."

"Dude, you asked her why she put up with me? That is so against the code of brotherly loyalty you know." Dean said with a shake of his head as he parked the car. "Well, it's way too late for me to save Kaylie. Maybe I can still save Rachel." He joked.

"Not likely. Rachel needs someone to save." Sam said. "And for the record... I get the eyes thing, and no it doesn't make me a girl."

"It makes you a girl." Dean said as he got out and popped the trunk, dividing up the weapons and supplies. "Completely and utterly a girl. I don't even get the eyes thing, and they're MY eyes."

Sam laughed. "How do you think I'm able to call your bull shit Dean? It's all in the eyes. What ever you are feeling is right there."

Dean scowled as he handed Sam a long knife. "Bullshit. Girl." He said. "Know what my 'eyes' are saying right now?" He teased. "Get a move on. Kid's got school tomorrow."

"They're saying you are enjoying this, but you're a little freaked because this time it's personal." Sam said as he put the knife in his boot.

"You're a girl." Dean said as he handed Jack and Kevin their knives. "I swear, he is. Deep down where it matters, he's all pink and frilly. Let's go."

"I am so not touching that one." Jack said. "Because the imagery is enough to scar me for life."

Dean laughed at that. "Wimp." He said with a shake of his head. "Come on." He said as he got the grate to the sewer entrance off. "No time like the present, place is only gonna get worse smelling as the night drags on."

Jack handed out the masks, not only for the smell but to help prevent a lot of things they could get just from walking around down there. "I don't care if it's a paper cut, everything gets looked at when we get out of here."

"Yes Mom." Dean said with a roll of his eyes as he pulled the mask on. He wasn't going to complain about anything that helped ward off some of the stench that sewers tended to carry.

Kevin chuckled at that comment as he pulled his on, trying to appear as confident as he could. This was his first official big time hunt, he was definitely wanting to impress as they headed down into the sewer. He tried not to make too much of a face as various indistinguishable things floated past him.

"Not as glamourous as they make it out in the movies, that's for sure. We went through more clothes than any 12 highschool girls in a year when we were doing this full time. Rips, blood stains, scorch marks... " Sam said with a chuckle.

"Or that show that was on the Sci Fi network. Never seen a bunch of so called ghost hunters with such intact clean clothing." Dean said with a laugh. "Now those guys were a bunch of idiots. No idea what to do if a real ghost suddenly started throwing knives at them."

"I know. I was watching them a few times when you first started teaching me how to hunt, and they were freaking out at the littlest things, readings way too low for a real haunting." "But they got so excited." Dean said. "Makes me wish we videotaped half the shit we did. I'm much better looking than them anyway. Think of the ratings."

Sam laughed. "Think of the jail time. Thought you had enough of that already."

"Oooh good point." Jack agreed.

"Jack loved me in prison. He didn't have to worry so much. Course the guards threatened to strip search his girlfriend once or twice..." Dean teased back.

"That would have landed me in an adjoining cell on death row. I was a little crazy back then." Jack said.

"Getting in touch with your inner Winchester." Sam stated.

"Which part? The part of being crazy or the almost jail part?" Kevin asked.

"Both." Dean said. "Okay, they should be around here somewhere, so let's keep our eyes open. Unless you all really want to go swimming in this."

The sounds were unmistakable in the distance, carrying through the tunnels. Inhuman speech followed by very human screams, and Jack had this strange image in his head that they all should be carrying swords and torches.

Dean made sure he had a knife in each hand. And one in his boot incase he became unarmed. These things were not easy to take down, that was for sure. They turned a corner to a massacre. People dragged from the mall earlier in various stages of hurt, dying and dead as the creatures hovering above them continued their torture and their feeding.

Sam swore, wishing now that he had left Kevin at home with the others. This wasn't something he wanted to see much less have his son witness. But there was nothing to do for it now, and he waded into the battle, with one thing on his mind, killing whatever was in front of him, because if it were dead, it couldn't touch his family.

Dean's mind blanked. It always did when he fought. He relied on gut instinct and a well

trained body. Served him well in the past, he was alive after all. And he was making progress. He was still sore from the previous battle with these things, not as quick as he could be. But quick enough to get the job done, if not as cleanly as he would have liked.

Not that 'clean' was a word that could ever apply to the sewers, as they were all quickly finding out, in some definitely disgusting ways. Which was why Dean was glad his mind blanked. So he couldn't concentrate on what he kept getting thrown in.

For they definitely had the creatures' attention. Ben was right, they liked their prey alive and feisty. Didn't get much more feisty than four hunters protecting their families. Three fathers and a kid with something to prove.

What Kevin lacked in the strength department, he made up for in the speed department. He was quick, light on his feet, a frame adolescence had yet to add bulk to turned into an asset in confined quarters. He didn't think either. He kept picturing the demon that had destroyed his biological family, concentrating his rage into that blade in his hand. Over and over until his shoulders were numb and heavy, but he kept going. He might not be a Winchester by blood, but he still didn't know the meaning of the word 'stop'.

Jack was a hunter out of necessity. Unlike his brothers, it wasn't a word that could be used to define him. Jack was a healer and this entire situation was tying him into knots. So many people ... He did his best to turn his thoughts toward the fight alone, focus only on the monsters and his family that fought along side him.

They'd distracted the creatures enough, and Jack was shouting to those that could run which way to go. Which the people did willingly, not wanting to be dinner after all. Dean wasn't sure when it all started to go south. He was keeping an eye on everyone, he wasn't sure who started taking more blows than he should. All he knew was finally all the creatures were leveled, and he was leaning against the damp wall, eyes closed, breathing raggedly. He vaguely recalled taking a sharp, hard kick to the chest. And he was kind of aware of the fact that his ribs weren't co operating with him any more.

"Dean?" Came the familiar cry of a worried Sam. He and Jack rushed over to their brother's side. Neither of them liked the way he was breathing. "Busted rib?" He asked.

"Yeah." Dean groaned out and waved his brothers off. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Did we get them all?" That was his main concern. Because if they didn't, they had a job to finish.

Kevin looked at Dean and swallowed. He'd seen Dean hurt before, but only after he was patched up and already bitching. This was new for him as he watched his adopted uncle wipe blood from his face.

"Yeah, and the survivors have all started toward the exit, which is what we should do." Jack said, he knew well that Dean was never fine when he said he was fine. But there wasn't much he could do but keep an eye on him at the moment. Not like they could show up in the ER covered in sewage and not expect questions.

"There's a truck stop right down the way." Kevin offered. "We could shower there." He couldn't wait to get the gunk and slime and demon blood off him. But he couldn't help but feel a little proud of himself, he'd taken two demon hearts himself. Maybe he could do this after all.

"Good idea." Dean said. "Think we'll walk there. Unless you guys brought plastic covering, which I forgot, none of us are going near my car like this."

"Are you up to walking? I think my place is closest." Sam said. "But currently it's an upstairs apartment, which means we're better off going to your place, Dean. Besides, you have two showers and a water hose."

"Dude, I'm fine." Dean said, irritably. He got irritable when he was tired, or in pain. Right now, he was both. He guarded his side, breathing as normally as he could as they ascended out of the sewers. When all he really wanted to do was curl up in his bed with the blankets pulled over his head until this passed. Had to pass, because he didn't accept any other option. But he found himself having to stop and catch his breath a lot. It wasn't working as well as he hoped, his 'I'm fine, guys, really' facade that he always pulled on. "Okay, we can rinse off outside my house." He finally allowed. "We're still not getting in my car."

Jack laughed. "Good thing too, I don't want to think of the four of us in an enclosed space smelling like this. A good stiff wind is all that's keeping any of us conscious as it is." He was worried about Dean, and he exchanged looks with Sam. Once they got to the house and hosed down he was going to need help pinning Dean down long enough to look him over. He just hoped they could wait that long.

"I was more worried about how the car would take it. Sammy's the one who's convinced she's possessed. If so, she really wouldn't appreciate that at all." Dean said with a quick laugh as they walked. He coughed a couple of times, but what finally did him in was an uneven patch in the road. He stepped in it wrong, and that was that. Shooting pain all the way up his side, like his chest was going to explode and implode at the same time, burning hot like he was getting skewered with hot pokers and then put through a blender.

Luckily for Dean, he was out before he hit the ground. Because the impact of hitting the ground would have made everything feel even worse.

"Dean!" Sam and Jack at either side instantly both checking him over for signs of worse injuries than his ribs.

Jack dug his cell phone out of a gooey pocket and placed the call for an ambulance, giving vague answers, and pleading no memory. These were people he worked with... men he had known for years, some of them he had grown up with. Lying to them wasn't easy but he did it. The truth would be worse.

Kevin was worried, and scared for his uncle, who wasn't waking up. "I'll head home." He said, gathering the weapons. Too many questions with all those knives around. "Meet you guys at the hospital?" He managed to get out of sight right before the ambulance pulled up.

It wasn't an unfamiliar call, after all, they'd been picking up people because of the mall attack all after noon. The latest ones were from the sewers, so they had masks on. "I told you Jack." Ralph, a medic who usually took shifts with Jack. "The mall is no place for a man. Destruction and apocalypse follow us there when we gather enmasse." He said as he knelt down and started taking vitals.

"Yeah yeah yeah, men shopping is a sign of the apocalypse... but ... Damn it Ralph, this was insane. I don't know who it was that attacked us or how we got down there but... Dean was acting like he had a broken rib, then collapsed. "

Ralph wrote down the vital signs. Pulse was way too high, pressure was way too low. But he stopped to move Dean's shirt to look at the ribs. "Jesus Christ." He said. Dean's ribs were broken, definitely. In such a way that there was a whole section of his rib cage not attached to anything. Just...floating. Not moving in conjunction with the other ribs as the man tried to breathe. "We have to get him to a hospital. Now."

"What's wrong?" Sam asked in a tight tone. "We're going with you" He said. He wasn't going to leave Dean's side. Not when the medic was looking that worried. The medic didn't mean to ignore Sam. But he was busy getting Dean in the rig, an IV in and cutting off his clothes. He called ahead to the hospital. "Forty six year old male, blunt force chest trauma. Flail chest, suspected hemopnuemothorax." He said. He left it to Jack to explain to the middle brother as he recieved an order for morphine before Dean woke up. He pushed it, morphine was tricky with the pressure that low, but he didn't have a choice.

Jack explained what Ralph had called in, paling a little himself under the grime he was covered in. Flail chest was rare. He'd seen it once before. Well, looking at his oldest brother's chest, twice now.

Sam stared at Dean as he lay there unconscious, it seemed he had looked on him like this so many times over the years. He shook his head. "And he wonders why we never believe him." He said quietly.

When they arrived at the hospital, a triage team was waiting to separate the brothers. They handed Jack and Sam two pairs of scrubs, changing out Sam's for nice long ones once they saw him. "You can see your brother once you're hosed off. We've got a tent outside." A nurse said. "Sorry for the impersonality of it all, but we set it up in a rush." Everyone who was minor or unhurt had to shower first, sewage was teeming with all sorts of things they didn't want in the hospital. Dean would be quickly scrubbed down as they worked.

They went to scrub down in silence, neither of them wanted to waste time speaking. Jack for one could just imagine what would happen to their own injuries if they didn't get the filth off of them quickly anyway. Dean could wind up being the lucky one if they weren't careful.

They met outside the tents and headed back into the hospital to find their brother.

The poor staff in the emergency room had seriously underestimated how high a tolerance Dean Winchester had for opiates. He came to, his color wasn't any better, but when had that stopped him in the past. "Mr Winchester, please, you're going to injure yourself further." A nurse pled with him.

"Where are my brothers? Where's Kevin?" He asked, doing his college best to get out of the damn bed before they broke out the restraints.

"Dean, you have to lay still." Jack said coming up around the side, and nudging the nurse out of the way as gently but forcibly as possible.

"Let us calm him down." Sam said, firmly, pushing his way in. "Kevin is fine, dude, but you aren't gonna be if you don't stop fighting. You have a free floating rib in there... you don't want to move around man, I am serious."

Free floating rib? Oh that sounded good. But it was at least a new injury for him, he'd never had one of those before! "I'm good." Dean said. "They got my discharge papers all set?" He said, resisting attempts to put an oxygen mask on him.

"Bull shit, now lay still, wear your oxygen like a good little boy or we'll knock your stubborn ass out." Jack said. "You got kids to think of man... lay still."

"Dude, that was low." Dean said. "And I do not want them to see me here, strung up like you know they're going to string me up, attatched to god knows what whether I need it or not."

"We need to take him to Xray. Maybe one of you want to come?" The nurse asked hopefully. It wouldn't be the first time a patient had 'escaped' from X-Ray.

"We'll go." Jack said. "And no, it isn't low, it's the facts. Do you want them to see you in a casket? Do you want Tessa to lose another father like this?"

"Dude. Low." Dean repeated. Grumbling as they wheeled him to X-Ray, flanked by his brothers. But they were right, the less he moved, the more he could...tolerate...the pain that wasn't being relieved by whatever they gave him. But a normal man wasn't supposed to have his tolerance, so he never asked for anything stronger, lest they think he was some sort of junkie. He was silent, but shaking his head as they X-Rayed him and then wheeled him to another room. "They're going to do something disgusting to me. Come on, Jack, we can take care of this at home. You know that."

"Not low, factual. You keep fussing and I will call Mary to come down here and talk sense into you herself." Jack said. "And this is something I can't do, man. I don't have that kind of skill."

The doctor came in, holding up the X Rays. The fact that Dean was still conscious and coherent was an amazement to him. Especially since they couldn't give him anything else, his pressure was too unstable for that. "Mr Winchester. YOu have flail chest. Which pierced the pleural cavity, letting in air and blood. And collapsed a lung, which is why you feel like you can't breathe."

"Great. I feel better now." Dean said.

"You need a chest tube." The doctor said, explaining how he would make a small incision and insert a trocar inbetween his ribs to drain the blood and air. If possible, Dean got even paler. "No. Hell no." Dean said as he saw the tray. "I'm outta here."

It took both brothers to hold Dean down. "Dean... I mean it... don't make us stand here and pin you down cause we will. There isn't another way to do this." Jack said. "And we need you alive. You don't get to check out yet."

"Actually, if you would like to volunteer to hold him down..." the doctor said. "I can't give him any more medication until his blood pressure stabilizes."

Dean freaked at that. "He wants to stick a HOSE in my CHEST!" Dean said. "No, no, just give me some blood..." since a transfusion had been mentioned... "and I'm out of here."

The doctor looked at Jack and Sam. Technically Dean was above age, able to consent or refuse treatment. And even with the blood loss, he'd be hard pressed to declare him incompetent temporarily, never mind get another doctor to second it.

"Dean... you have a collapsed lung. " Jack said. "Even with a transfusion, you aren't going to breath any easier. If you move the wrong way, you could puncture the other one as well. Do you want to die in front of the girls, gasping for breath because you were too scared to go through the procedure?"

"Jack, I don't see some crazy doctor standing over you ready to stick something sharp and painful in you." Dean said. But finally consented after a few more low blows about the girls. Jack and Sam were enlisted to keep him still, because he couldn't be medicated. The doctor thread the trocar into the space and hooked up the suction, filling it with blood quickly. Dean was damp with sweat by the time it was over. "I'm not doing that again."

"Good." Sam said. "Cause all this pinning you down for torture, even if it's for your own good... not in the little brother hand book." Sam teased.

"Well, maybe not yours." Jack said with a forced grin. "Medical torture... it's in mine."

"You are such a show off." Sam said indignantly.

"Great." Dean said. "Well, it's in, the junk came out, NOW can I go home?" Before Kevin told Mary what happened and she came in. Oh his daughter was going to let him have it for this one.

"Not until the nice doctor says so." Jack said. "Now it's time to set a good example. The worst is over with. Now you get to heal and pick up nurses. Trust me, there are some nurses here you will be wanting to pick up."

"Kaylie know you're checking out nurses?" Dean teased. "You knocked her up again, her hormones are a little unstable right now...I could tell her. Get one obstacle to the door out of the way..."

"And then she would cry hysterically to your daughter, and that would backfire nicely, don't you think?" He teased in return.

"Dammit." Dean said. "Look, I've got tubes coming out of me that no human should have coming out of me. They won't give me the 'good' pain medicine," about the only thing that would work on him, honestly, "and I still kinda smell like the sewer. All of the above HAS to change before Mary comes in or she is going to flip."

"We can get you a bath." The doctor said, just knowing what he was setting his nurses up for, but it couldn't be avoided. "Work on the pain issue...I've seen your X-Rays, pain isn't anything new, is it Mr Winchester?"

"Doesn't mean it should be ignored." Sam pointed out sharply. "We'll make sure you are all cleaned up. But the tubes and stuff gotta stay for now. Mary isn't gonna take no for an answer to see you."

"Amazingly enough, he should be intubated and put on a ventilator." The doctor said. Flail chest was rare, and the few cases he'd seen had been the result of a car accident, where the victim was already unconscious. This man was awake and complaining.

"Don't even think about it." Dean said. He knew how to extubate himself. Wasn't pleasant, hurt like hell, and freaked everyone around him out, but he could, and would, do it.

"As long as your ribs remain stable, we won't. That will keep you out of surgery. We'll move you into an inpatient room, sandbag the ribs and wait."

"How long?" Dean demanded.

"As long as it takes." Jack told him, bluntly. "The more you fight, and struggle and try and take over the situation, the long it's likely to be. Or the shorter actually, cause one wrong move could land you in the OR faster than your head can spin."

"You're enjoying this." Dean said shaking his head. "Fine. I get to get cleaned up before Mary barrels her way in. That's not negotiable."

Meanwhile back at the house, Kevin was doing pretty good with pretending he was the first wave returning with the weapons, since the cops and shown up. Hard to explain why they had three dozen knives on them after all. Finally, though, he couldn't do it anymore. He showered. cleaned the knives, put them back in their cases and pulled Mary aside. "I gotta talk to you."

Mary frowned. "What is it?" She asked. Kevin didn't have a good poker face. He was worse than his father about wearing everything on his face. "Whose in trouble?"

"Your dad. He got hit in the sewers. We got around the block, he went down. Collapsed or something. They sent me home with the weapons and called an ambulance." Kevin said, and winced as he waited for the blow up. Mary didn't often have true blow ups, but when she did, invariably they were because of or over her father.

"You waited until now to tell me?" She yelled. "Stay here with Uncle Bobby." Mary said and ran to get her car keys. "I can't believe you waited to tell me."

"Uh, yeah." Kevin said. "Because I'm giving them time to clean him up and find out what's wrong with him. We crawled out of a sewer, Mary. Not to mention the hospital is flooded with all the other people right now. Take a deep breath. Look, I'll drive you." He said, holding his hand out for her keys.

She took a deep breath and handed over the keys. She didn't want to but he was right, she shouldn't drive right then. "He walked out of the sewer though, right?" He had been walking, then that had to be a good sign. She would take it as one.

"Yup." Kevin said, taking the keys as they headed out to her car. "Walked out, he was talking and everything. Uncle Jack thinks he stepped wrong in a pothole or something, your dad's got a bad knee and all. They haven't called, so I'm sure he's fine."

"A bad knee and we could hear him bitching all the way home." Mary said. Even if he had ruined it, her father would find a way home to clean up before going to the hospital. "Had he gotten to the point of saying he was fine even when they weren't asking?" That was a big danger. When he was trying to convince himself.

Kevin got in the car and waited for Mary. Then started toward the hospital. "He started bitching he was fine before we even got out of the tunnels. Said he had a busted rib, but he was fine." Kevin said.

Mary paled. "It's bad." She said. "Drive fast." She knew her father. This didn't sound good at all.

Kevin shook his head as he obligingly pressed on the gas pedal harder. "Do you two have some sort of secret language or something? Code words? Decoder ring? Because I didn't get that from that conversation I just relayed."

"Dad doesn't like to admit that he is hurt. He says he is fine even if he is bleeding to death on the spot. Usually he is trying to convince Sam and Jack... cause he is positive he is fine... even if he is bleeding to death. If he isn't convinced... then it's got him worried.. and if he is worried about himself it's like... one of the seven signs of the apocalypse."

"Nice." Kevin said as he pulled into the hospital. Not surprisingly, Mary was out of the car before he'd even stopped. "Don't worry, I'll park the car." He called after her with a sigh.

The last thing on her mind was the car as she headed to the reception desk. "I'm looking for Dean Winchester. He was brought in by ambulance. I'm his daughter."

The receptionist looked up the name in the computer. "Fourth floor, room 25." She said. "But be advised that visiting hours are almost over!" She said, in a perky manner.

"Thanks." She said and took off at a dead run. Good luck getting her out of there if she didn't want to go. She wasn't going anywhere until she knew of a certainty that her father was fine, by her definition not his.

"Daddy?" She said, entering the room taking in the sight before her. Dean was in the bed, a sandbag against his side, weighted down on the opposite side. Oxygen hanging off the side rail because he didn't feel he needed it and his brothers couldn't convince him otherwise. He was pale, and a little woozy, the blood loss catching up to him. Under the sandbag a tube snaked out, hooked to a special container hanging off the bottom of the bed, blood being sucked into it. Blood coming out, blood going in. Hanging above his head was a half full bag of blood, dripping into an IV in his arm.

"Hey sweetheart." Dean said with a grin. Because he was fine, dammit. He should be home, actually. He managed to glare at his brothers for that thought too.

"Oh god." She breathed and stepped into the room. She too glared at her uncles, for not calling her, for not protecting him better, although the latter she knew was irrational. "Daddy, what happened?"

"Well, I decided I was tired, so I laid down to take a nap. Jack and Sam found that unacceptable, so they dragged me here to punish me." Dean said, holding his grin. "Then the doctor took Xrays, and he was impressed with the number of broken bones I've had in my life time, so I'm now like a side show in a freaky sadistic carnival until I can get myself unhooked from all this stuff. It's all just a form of restraint."

"Do I have to ask Uncle Jack?" She said with a sigh, although she was relieved that he was being sarcastic. It was a good sign. Even if it was annoying as hell.

"Fine. Somewhere along the line I got kicked by one of the creatures and it snapped some ribs. Again, Jack and Sam freaked out needlessly," he truly did believe that, "and I'm being punished by being held here against my will with threats of kinky restraints and horrible guilt. That better?"

"If it were just broken ribs they would have taped you up like a hundred times before and handed you a beer." Mary said as she took a seat. "They don't pump blood into and out of you in some freakish poor man's dialysis as punishment. Usually it means something is wrong."

"Don't put it past your uncles. They're THAT screwed up." Dean said. "I'm fine." He looked at Sam and Jack. "Will you two help me out here? Your idea for me to stay here, certainly not mine. Tell her I'm fine. She doesn't believe me. Obviously you two have been brainwashing her behind my back."

"She's her mother's daughter." Was all Jack had to say on the subject. Being the only brother to have actually gotten to know Chavi. "She knows bullshit when she smells it."

"And he wonders why I don't want to go away to college. The man won't take care of himself." Mary stated.

"Hello! 'The man' is still in the room. They won't let me leave, remember?" Dean said. "Look, I'm awake. I'm talking. I'm pissing into a frigging bucket. When the ribs broke, some blood went where it wasn't supposed to. That's why I've got a tube sticking out of me where I don't want a tube sticking out of me. They're replacing that blood, that's tube number two that I don't want sticking out of me. The ribs will heal when they heal. Once this blood is done and shit stops draining out of this other one, whether they like it or not, I'm out of here."

Mary took a seat. "That's pretty serious." She said. "And I am sure you down played it."

"Yep." Said Jack. "But when doesn't he?"

"You," Dean said, pointing at Jack, "are not helping. Neither are you." He said to Sam. "Not at all. See why I didn't want to be stuck here? Because everyone's freaking out over everything. Actually, you're all freaking out over nothing. I'm fine. I'll say it again. Fine. In fact, you know what? This isn't helping. I'm going home." He was not going to have his daughter freak out over nothing. He reached for the roller clamp on the IV, so when he pulled it out, the blood in the bag didn't spray everywhere.

"Daddy, no." She said, with a strange firmness, tinged with fear. "I'm not the one freaking out, you are. It's okay... I'm not the one that's going to be hurt if you stay, but you will if you leave. So don't even try it. Because if you do, there is no way I will even think about college applications. And what am I gonna tell Tessa? Sorry kid, you can't live with us cause Dad figured he had to be macho and killed himself on the way out of the hospital? But it's okay, I get to live with Uncle Sam too, so we still get to be sisters."

Sam looked at Jack. "His wife was that hard on him? I think I would have liked her."

"Oh you would have, but she wouldn't have put up with your shit either." Jack said. "I would have loved it."

"Oh and you are what? Feces free?" Sam asked.

"Yep."

"Doubt Kaylie or Ben would agree with that."

Dean gave an aggravated sigh and leaned his head back into the pillow, staring at the ceiling. Dammit. "Fine. Fine. Fine. Whatever." He said. "I want a gun. I want salt and brick dust. A knife would be good. Jack said there are nurses worth picking up in this place, so it's his responsibility to find them, since my daughter just blackmailed me to stay in bed. What the hell is this? Blackmail Dean Winchester day?" He'd been in a hospital for himself four times in his adult life. One time, he was told he was going to die. The other two, for a few moments here and there, he did die. The last time, he got transferred to death row. Like hospitals? So not.

"More like Dean Winchester preservation day." Sam said rolling his eyes. "I know you don't like hospitals. But would you let me out of that bed if the situations were reversed? Or Mary? I will set up the protections before I go, I'll even bless the room. "

"The weapons. I want the weapons. Or I'll get them myself. And someone better go get my car." Dean said, then he groaned, waving off the hovering people. He wasn't groaning over anything physical. "Shit, that social worker was supposed to come by tomorrow, wasn't she? Oh this looks good."

"I can reschedule it for you." Sam said. "You worry too much about the social worker." He told his brother with a grin. "Tessa is speaking, she is happy and she wants to live with you. Add into that, that you just risked your life to save her twice in one day... I think you're gonna do fine."

"I'm not worried, I'm paranoid. There's a difference." Dean said with a scowl. "Speaking of Tessa, might as well bring her in. Else who knows what she's going to imagine."

"They said visiting hours were almost over when I was coming up here." Mary said. "I will bring her in first thing in the morning." She knelt down and took the knife she kept in her boot and handed it over to her father, since it would take a bit to get him all the weapons he wanted. "There's brick and salt in the trunk of my car. Kevin has the keys, he is parking it... or was... "

"Yeah I parked it." Kevin said, finally coming in. "Then I had to have conversation with Attila the receptionist who said since visiting hours were over, and Uncle Dean wasn't having my baby, unfortunately I couldn't go up. Luckily, two rednecks got in a fight, and she had to call security, so I hopped into the elevator."

Dean took the knife and tucked it under his pillow, rolling his eyes. He was stuck here. Freaking great.

"I'll go get in uniform and sneak up the salt and brick here in a bit." Jack promised. They didn't look twice at an paramedic wandering through the hospital after hours

"Thanks Jack." Dean said, trying to be grateful that at least he'd have the minimum number of protections in place. "I'll call Tessa tonight, or she won't believe I'm fine." He knew that already. He just needed to get out of here soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Tessa held tightly to Mary's hand as they came up in the elevator. Tightly enough that Mary had to wiggle her fingers a few times to get the circulation flowing again. "He's gonna be okay Tessa." She said. "But it isn't gonna look pretty, okay?" Mary didn't want the younger girl to be scared by the tubes and things. "The good news is that they fixed everything, and he is just having to get better now. Okay? But you gotta be gentle when you hug him. It still hurts."

Tessa nodded, but her little lips were clenched tightly shut. She had spoken and he had gotten hurt. She had promised god that she wouldn't talk until he had given her a family she could keep and the demons were gone. She had talked before the demons were gone and had broken her promise. She wasn't so sure Dean was going to be okay at all...

Mary sighed softly and led her into the hospital room. "Hey Dad." She said giving him the once over to be sure that he hadn't pulled anything out during the night.

Dean and the nurses had come to an impasse. He still had the IV in. But nothing running. The chest tube was still in, and draining into a sealed container, but it was behind the bed, with the tube carefully threaded behind and out of sight. Those were his terms, or he was pulling them all out and calling a taxi. He had to promise to eat and drink whatever they brought him, so he was currently picking at his breakfast. Normally, he could and would eat anything. But he swore these eggs were actually made of rubber and the bread was at least a year old. The coffee was weak, and the juice watered down. But he grinned when he saw the girls.

"Come to rescue me?" He asked hopefully. "Crap. You two forgot food."

Tessa looked him over and cautiously took a step toward the bed, he looked okay, but looks could be deceiving, even at her tender age she knew that.

"Heh, eat your eggs and like it." Mary said with a grin. "You'll just be more than ready for the steak dinner you owe us for worrying us like that."

"Very funny." Dean said and watched Tessa. She was so wary and cautious. "Tessa, it looks worse than it is." Fully aware he had visible scrapes and bruises, some he had earned in the mall rather than the sewers. "Come on over here. Really, it's okay."

She went to him then and gently lay her head on his chest, listening to the steady heart beat within, and slowly wrapped her arms around him. "Sam says they aren't coming back...is it true?"

"It's true." Dean said. "We completely whipped their butts. Not much left of them now, they're gone." He assured her as he looked at the top of her blonde head. "You hear that?" He said, meaning his heart beat. "Takes more than a handful of pansy ass demons to stop that thing. Haven't found anything that really could either."

She smiled. "Good." She said, but didn't move, just stayed there listening to the steady beat.

Mary took a seat and propped her feet up on the side of the bed. "Sam says the social worker will be around after you get out of here... but it's pretty much a done deal, so we went and bought paint this morning before coming here. Should have seen Kevin's face when he realized his room is about to become a very girly shade of purple."

Dean chuckled. "I bet." He said. "Drop cloths are in the crawl space above the garage." He said. He wasn't like his father. Mary and Tessa could stay in the house while he was stuck in here, because Bobby was there. He might be an old man, and not get around as well as he used to, but that old man could still be fearsome. They were supervised on top of that with the rest of the family checking in all the time.

"We won't make a mess we can't clean up." Mary told him, rolling her eyes in typical teenager fashion. "So any word on how long they are going to have you holding down that bed?"

Dean snorted. "Long enough to drain the insurance company dry." He said. "Depends who you ask. You ask me? I'd be outta here by tonight. Ask the doc, he's waiting for X-rays. That man loves to Xray me. I swear he's writing a paper or something. Ask the day nurse, not soon enough. Ask the night nurse, way too soon."

"Let me guess, night shift is full of impressionable externs who think you are dreamy, and day shift gets to see your inner spoiled brat come out." Mary said.

"The day shift is full of grumpy people who keep trying to put me on drugs." He corrected her. "Surprised they don't get many drug seekers here, the way they're pushing them." He'd never been a big sleeper, and the night shift was at least friendly to talk to as he passed the time.

"They probably figure you're easier to deal with all doped up, because you so don't want to be here. They probably figure it's the pain."

Dean laughed softly at that. He wasn't up to full laughter yet, ever mindful of that sandbag holding that section of his ribcage in place. "Yeah, that's it. Doesn't hurt too bad anyway." As long as he didn't move, or breathe. Then he could nearly ignore it.

"If you want to nap out," she said, meaning let them give him pain meds, "Tessa and I can stand watch until Uncle Sam gets here. He had to open the garage this morning. He'll be here once Zack shows up for his shift."

Dean chuckled. "That's an idea." He said. It wasn't that he wasn't tired. He was exhausted. But he was also hyper vigilant and paranoid. Never a good combination with a strange place when people wanted you to sleep. He'd still pass on the pain meds. He could sleep through the pain, he was tired enough that it wouldn't be a problem. "Wake me up when Sam gets here?" He asked as he adjusted Tessa so she was on the bed rather than just draped over him.

Tessa snuggled in comfortably, ever careful not to lay on the tubing or anything that made Dean wince.

"Not a problem." Mary said as she picked up the remote and started flipping through channels.

As Dean drifted off into sleep, an old familiar voice hummed in the back of his mind. "Always so much work to do, boy. You have to be more careful with yourself. The war is nearing an end, but there are so many battles ahead of you."

"I could do without some of these battles." Dean replied. Not aloud, the girls couldn't hear him. But he looked at the bear. "How come I'm always the one in the hospital with weird things sticking out of me? Next time, I think I'll let someone else take a turn." But he never would.

"Usually you are here because it was someone else's turn." The bear said with a faint laugh. "When the war is done, you will have time for peace... genuine peace if you wish it."

"The war will never end. There will just be something else to take its place." Dean said with resignation. "Besides, I've got a lot to watch now, not just Sammy. No genuine peace in my future for at least another thirty years or so. I'm just...tired."

"You might be surprised at what will bring you peace if you let it." She said in soothing tones. "Your brothers have been slumbering long these 16 years. They must awaken if they are to survive the final battle."

That got Dean's attention. He knew what she meant. "The last time, I nearly lost both of them. They nearly lost themselves." He pointed out. "They won't do it. They've got families and everything now. Sammy's getting married, Jack's gonna be a father again. They won't risk it and them."

"If they don't, they will lose everything... everyone loses everything. The end of days is upon us. The gate to hell will open, and the time of humanity will come to an end. It should have ended in 2012 with the Aztec calendar. But you shut down the gate, before the demon had true control of Sam, before it could use him to flood it with his power and unlock it. There are other gates, and other nephilim."

"Great." Dean said with a sigh. "I'll work on them, I'll have to. Dammit, I haven't ended up flat on my back in some damned hospital over and over just for them to get cold feet." Though a chill ran through him, last stands rarely ended well. "The doc says I might be laid up for a few months though, this is going to hurt when I decide I know better."

"We will work on that healing together." She told him. "We have brought you through much worse, yes?" She nudged him gently. "Without you... your brothers are like oxen with no yolk, no driver. Powerful, but purposeless. Dangerous."

"It's not like I'm going anywhere." Dean said. "I'm in it for the long haul, you know that. Have been since I was a kid. Besides, from what Ben says, if I can cross a demon wasteland," which he still didn't remember, "I can do most anything else."

"I wouldn't have bonded to you if you weren't." She told him. She had sensed the man he was to become, the quiet hero he was meant to be and she had wanted to guide him, to protect that warrior spirit. A true warrior had a gentle soul beneath his strength.

"Oh you would have. Cause I'm that cute." Dean said with a chuckle. "But it's good to have someone along for the ride." He added softly. Sometimes it got lonely, though his brothers were there, sometimes he felt like he was in it all alone.

"You have more than me along for this ride. You are loved more than you know, Boy." She said, still calling him that, she probably would call him that when she walked his spirit over to owl, to be ferried to the other side.

ITNOTFITNOTFINTOTFINTOTF

Mornings in the Hsiao household were rarely quiet, but they were peaceful. Kaylie was battling morning sickness. Abby changed her clothes at least six times (and she was only eight). Mark usually had to be threatened and wrestled out of bed. And little Ben, he could be counted on for child like mischief. Until about eleven AM, Jack was usually the only level head in the house.

He'd gotten back from the hospital late, and after giving Kaylie and Ben an update on Dean, had taken another shower and fallen fast asleep. Kaylie woke up early, this was the most annoying pregnancy so far. The morning sickness would not stop, and refused to let her sleep in. But she got herself together, and clutching her package of unsalted Saltine crackers, went about trying to get the kids up. They might not have school today, but they didn't lead inactive lives either. Mark had baseball practice. Abby had twirling. Ben had a playdate.

But if there was one thing that could be counted on to wake Jack up from a dead sleep, it was an urgent call from his wife. She stood in the doorway of their youngest son's room. "Jack!" She called out.

Why did it look like her youngest son was playing with fire?

Jack was out of bed and down the hall before his eyes were even fully opened. "What?" He asked groggily. "Holy Fuck!" He said and rushed into his youngest son's room.

Little Ben giggled. "Daddy swore." He said with a big grin.

"Man, I swear I never touched your wife." Ben said, coming around the corner. He'd figured Jack would sleep most of the day, so he was going to drop Mark off at practice. But this, this was unexpected.

"Daddy swore!" Little Ben said to the demon he was named after, still giggling in childhood innocence.

"Yeah... that's what Dean says too." He said jokingly. "Yes Daddy swore... you don't get to though." Jack said. "Where did the fire come from, Ben?" He asked his son.

The older Ben moved into the room and crouched in front of his namesake, examining the undulating orbs and flickers he was playing with. "It's not fire." Ben said. "It's light."

The child shrugged. "Dunno. But it's so pretty."

"Did you make the light come to you?" Jack asked, as a sick feeling settled into the pit of his stomach.

Little Ben nodded, then the light disappeared. His little brow furrowed, then his face crumpled in frustration. "It's gone!" He said. "Why'd it go?"

"I don't know." Jack said. "Have you played with the lights before now?" He asked. His son had inherited the magic. He had wanted that to end with him. No such luck.

"Sometimes." The child said as his mother passed worried looks between him and his father. "Sometimes I wake up and they're there. Does this mean I have to give away my nightlight?" He asked worriedly. He liked his night light, and how it splayed colored tropical fish on his walls that moved.

"Nah... you can keep the night light. I wouldn't take that away from you until you are ready," Far be it from any Winchester to belittle a child's fear of the dark. It was a healthy, natural instinct. "Have any other things like the lights happened? Don't worry, you aren't in trouble. It just scared Mommy and me cause we didn't know it was happening, that's all."

The child looked relieved that he wasn't in trouble. "Things float sometimes." He said. "And I broke Mark's gameboy." He confessed with a whisper. "I didn't mean to. I just wanted to play it and then it went all dark."

"You know what?" The demon said. "I've got a great idea, Benny. How about you go show what a big guy you are and go brush your teeth and get dressed? Your mommy, daddy and I will be downstairs."

"Okay." The little boy said and got up to head to the bathroom.

Jack got to his feet and ran a hand through his hair. "I had so hoped to avoid this." He said softly and started out of the room. He didn't know how to teach his son how to control it. He knew how to shut it down but that wasn't his choice to make for his son.

"Well, we should have known this was a possibility." Ben said as he headed down to the kitchen. He was a blunt person, always had been. Now wouldn't be any different.

"What are we going to do?" Kaylie asked as she started pulling breakfast materials out of the cupboards and fridge. "I mean, can we just have him turn it off? He can't exactly go all light show at the playground."

"Have to find a way to teach him to control it." Jack said. "Shutting it down could cause us problems later... look what happened with me. I suspect Mom shut it down with me to keep us safe... one accident could have gotten us found."

"Yeah it would have." Ben agreed. "I'll do a search, see who I can find." Demons were never very popular in occult circles. Though sometimes worshiped, other times reviled, they were preferred as an ideal rather than flesh standing before them. But he had a few connections he'd fostered over the years. "Though what happened with you was an unknown family member poisoning you to break the walls. Mei died a few years ago. You're the last Hsiao. And if there are any more Winchesters out there, I don't want to know about it."

Jack laughed. "I would settle for an instruction manual. I don't know if I trust a stranger to deal with this. Wow... I don't know... he is so young for this..."

Kaylie looked at Jack. She was a teacher. And she knew a few things about teaching. You couldn't teach English if you didn't speak it. You couldn't teach math if you couldn't add. And you can't teach someone to play baseball if you've never so much as looked at a bat or a glove.

"Jack." She said, leaving the stove to sit by him at the table. "The only way you can teach him to control it is to learn to control it yourself. Not just keep it shut down."

"I know." He said with a long sigh, rubbing a hand over his face. "And Dean says I'm the normal one... yeah right."

"Well, you're not laying in the hospital with a hose in your chest, and staying in that hospital only because of some really low blackmail. And you don't lie awake at night staring at the ceiling wondering if you're going to see your wife up there burning. So...as far as that goes, you ARE the normal one. As far as that goes." Ben pointed out.

"Then this family is seriously screwed up because I am anything but normal." He said laughing, even though he wasn't really amused. The situation could be wonderful years later, but right now it was scary as hell.

"You're just now figuring that out?" Ben asked with a raised eyebrow. "Jack, you married your childhood sweetheart. You have family dinners every Sunday. You go to PTA meetings and coach little league. All this after being raised partly in the shadow realm, and a majority by a demon. Somehow, you turned out so stereotypically normal, I want to look for pod people. Or a Stepford cult."

He laughed. "Yeah I guess. How many normal guys have suppressed magical talent and a son that is afraid he has to give up his nightlight because he conjures pretty lights?"

"Could be worse. Your daughter could be a succubus." Ben pointed out. "Your eldest son could be a bigger delinquent than his uncle at his age. Pretty lights and suppressed magic, in the face of that? A piece of pie."

"Cake." Kaylie corrected Ben. Some turns of phrase, even after all these years, he still mixed up. "Okay, well, we'll handle this together. We'll figure something out."

"Yeah." Jack said. "I know." He took a deep breath and held it for a moment, then let it out slowly. "Okay... but no more surprises today... please."

"Bad time to tell you that Abby wants flaming batons for her birthday?" Kaylie teased her husband as the kids filtered into the room in various degrees of wakefulness.

Jack whimpered. "If this next child comes out anything like Sam, I am going to go hide under a rock. We have one who looks like Dean, one who is fixated with fire, another that conjures pretty lights... "

"Hey! There's nothing wrong with fire. I happen to like fire." Ben said.

"Ooh, Daddy!" Abby said, climbing into her father's lap. "The girls on TV had flaming batons and they threw them high high into the air. And it was so cool. I'm getting good. I want to try it!"

"Do not let her play with fire." Mark said, grabbing a glass of chocolate milk (more chocolate than milk). "She'll burn the house down." For he was a very wise (in his estimation) and mature (again, in his estimation) thirteen year old. Whose voice cracked.

"Abby, you are too young to play with fire. When you are at least as tall as mommy, can toss your batons in the air without dropping them, and never touch the ends... then we might be persuaded to talk about this again."

Mark snickered. "That should be, what? Next year?" He said and got smacked upside the head by his mother for that one.

"Watch it. The only tall gene in the family belongs to Sam, and we think he got it from his mother's side." She told her son. She was barely above five feet tall. Jack wasn't exactly all that tall either, just short of six feet.

"And this is why I only raised ONE kid." Ben said with a laugh.

"Yeah cause the smart ass gene seems to be genetic as well." Jack said.

"Or environmental." Kaylie said, looking pointedly at Ben.

"Oh please. I'm a nice, polite, soft spoken man." Ben said. "Any instances of any sort of mouth, Jack did NOT pick up from me."

"Yeah, I don't swear enough to have gotten my mouth from Ben." Jack said rolling his eyes. "Okay... so I will drop Mark off at baseball practice on the way to the hospital to see Dean. Sam is having to work this morning, so I have first shift. Anything you want me to pick up from the store on the way home?"

Kaylie promptly gave him a list. If he wanted to stop at the store, he could have her list. That way she didn't have to. After all, she had to ride in the car with a little girl begging to play with fire! "And tell Dean to stop giving the staff a hard time." Because she just knew he was.

Jack laughed. "Yeah, like he would listen. Come on son, go get your gear. I'm headed out to the car." He kissed his other two children and his wife goodbye and headed out the door.

Mark grabbed his bag and plopped the hat on his head as he headed out to the car. "Mom said you were sleeping in today. Is Uncle Dean okay?" He asked as he threw his bag into the back seat.

Jack sighed. "No. He will be, but he isn't right now. " He told his son honestly. "His ribs were busted badly, and punctured one of his lungs. Right now it's just a matter of him letting himself heal."

"Yeah, that's gonna happen." Mark said. "But whatever you were hunting, you got it, right? That part's over?"

"Yeah, we got it. Those demons aren't coming back. It's important to protect family, Mark, that's why I hunt with your uncles, you understand that, right? Hunting isn't the life I want for you, sometimes there are demons and creatures out there that are really worth getting to know." He worried that his brothers' attitudes, even if tempered now because of exposure to Ben, would rub off on his children, that they might get the idea that hunting was exciting and idealize it.

Mark made a face. "You forget, Dad, that when you go off hunting, we're the ones that get to listen to Ben rant and rave about hunters, even if it's under his breath." Mark pointed out. Ben grudgingly accepted Jack hunting, because he knew that he couldn't do anything about it.

"Okay. I know sometimes when Sam and Dean get to talking... especially with Bobby here now that it gets glamorized. And with the things Kevin and the others have experienced... well... I just want you kids to be safe."

Mark had no inclination to be a hunter. And he gave his father a face. "Glamorized? Isn't Uncle Dean in the hospital? Weren't you guys in the sewers last night? Come on, Dad, where's the glamor?"

Jack smiled at that "Good, you have a realistic image. That's all I wanted to hear. But I need to start teaching you a few things... so you can protect yourself if I'm not around and something comes calling. Your mother is going to freak about it... but I think its necessary."

Mark grinned. "So we don't tell her." Mark said. Though Mark had been involved in martial arts from a young age, taught mainly by his father. Ben was starting also. Abby had no interest in it, so gymnastics had been substituted for it in the meanwhile. With the last name of Hsiao, even if they were as American as apple pie, it was nearly expected and a birthright at that.

Jack shook his head. "No... we are not going to keep secrets from your mom. I'm going to talk to your uncle Dean about teaching you to shoot, and we'll work on a few basics. But it's only for self defense and only if none of us are around. "

"Fine, but you get to deal with Mom. I'm just the obedient son doing what his father told him to do, got it?" Mark teased. His mother may not be a big woman, but she could be terrifying if she got angry enough! "Okay, okay, only when no one else is around and some strange thing tries to get in."

"Good." He said as he pulled the car over in front of the ball field. "If I am late getting back here call me on my cell. "

"Will do." Mark said. "Tell Uncle Dean to stop being lazy and get his butt out of that bed."

"Oh hell no. I spent too damned long telling to keep his sorry butt planted where it is." Jack told his son with a laugh. " See you in a couple of hours."

He strode into his brother's hospital room a few minutes later. "Hey... why didn't I think of that last night?" He said to Mary indicating the small child asleep at Dean's side. "That works better than a sandbag any day." Little kids had sleep monsters they carried around with them. Cuddling with one that was napping was begging to be sucked into the sleep monster's trap.

"Shh." Mary said as she changed the channel again. "He's down for now, but you know Dad. He'll wake up in a heart beat and give us all a hard time. But what can I say? When it comes to guilt and blackmail and coercion, I'm a lot better at it than you guys."

"That's because you learned from your father." He said softly and went to take a seat and keep watch over his brother.

"And he was the best teacher." Mary said with a chuckle. "The nurse came in a bit ago, shoulda seen the look of relief on her face. It was kinda funny actually. Was he always this bad?" This was the first time he'd been majorly hospitalized that she could remember.

"Yeah... but you see... bad things always happen when your dad winds up in the hospital. " Jack said. "First time, they told him he was going to die in a matter of days... his heart... they fixed that somehow... then there was the time they were hit by a demon driven semi... our father died then...the next time Sam was blackmailed into leaving us all, in order to keep Dean alive... the last time he wound up arrested and on trial for a murder he didn't commit. I'm surprised he doesn't have an all out phobia of the place."

"Probably why he doesn't like to sleep here." Mary said, looking over at her father, his face relaxed in sleep. Because he was exhausted enough to just fall asleep for once. Else he probably would have fought it and stayed awake. "He'll be going home before the doctors want him to, guaranteed."

Jack nodded. "I know. But we need to make him stay here at least until they can take the tubes out legitimately. I can take care of him once that's over with. I don't have the skill to know what's going on in there until it's too late. Don't want to take the chance."

Mary shook her head. "Why does he do this?" She asked. "Act like it's okay for him to do this. Like he doesn't matter. Sometimes I just want to punch him in the head." She had uncles, she had cousins, she had Aunt Kaylie but when it came right down to it, her father was all she had. And his attitude and carelessness with himself scared her.

"I don't know." Jack said. "Been trying to figure that out for years. The man has got the worst self image known to man. " And that was something neither of his brothers understood.

Mary shook her head and watched her father carefully stir. Even in sleep, he knew if he moved too much it would really hurt.

"Hey Jack." Dean said. "Joining the Deansit for the day?"

"Yeah. Needed to get out of the house for a bit anyway. Kaylie is morning sick, Abby wants to play with fire batons and Benji has started proving that he is indeed a Hsiao."

"Oh great." Dean said, getting what Jack was referring to. "Well, as for Kaylie...gotta say man, that's your own damn fault. Watch out with Abby, Ben spoils her, he might get them for her. Or just light the batons she's got now on fire. What are we going to do about Benji?"

"Figure out a way to teach him how to handle it. Because he doesn't need it appearing later in life like it did me. " Granted he had help getting it started but that wasn't the point. "He makes pretty lights to play with currently. Kinda worried about what might happen next."

"Who knows?" Dean said. "We'll just have to watch him. Then again, now that he knows that you know, he'll probably want to show off the next thing he can do."

"Here's hoping. I think it's time to start teaching Mark a few things. I don't want him hunting but with what happened with Simon and Tessa... I don't want them defenseless if something follows us back after a hunt."

Dean wondered when that would come up. "Okay. I'll take him out skeet shooting once I get out of here." Dean offered. It was a perfectly harmless activity, especially in Texas where it was almost expected. But Mark had long focused more on the martial arts aspect of his given heritage than the expected Winchester guns and knives aspect.

"I don't expect you to turn him into a crack shot or anything... I just... with this major hunt coming up in the next few months...a lot of potential for fall out."

"I'm a decent teacher. Did the best I could with Mary." Dean said, giving his daughter a wink. Well, at least she could throw. That was something, even if she couldn't shoot worth a flying fig. "We'll give it a go. I should be able to get him to hit the broadside of a barn at least."

"So long as he can shoot at what's in front of him and not his own foot, I will be happy. Maybe not look so much like a scared kid with a gun when he points it." Jack gave Mary a sympathetic smile. Poor kid had really tried to learn to shoot.

"Yeah well, can't be good at everything. That would be annoying." Mary said with a laugh. Truth be told, she didn't like guns. She didn't know why, but she didn't like them. Not at all.

"He'll do fine." Dean said and stifled a cough. The damn tube made him cough and coughing hurt. "Just get me all unrestrained and I'm good to go. Though the nurses are cute, I'll give you that, Jack."

Jack laughed. "Yeah? Anyone one in particular catch your eye?" He asked. He was friends with most of them, at least the ones that worked in the ER from time to time.

"Why? So you two can scamper off and warn her?" Dean said with a laugh. "I'm onto you two. No go. She stays my little secret." He teased.

Mary rolled her eyes. "Might be one of the night nurses. He's got them convinced he's cute."

"That's because they don't run tests at night on inpatients. He isn't as cranky with them. Or it could be sleep dep on their part for being up all night all the time, 12 + hour shifts..."

"Is it inconceivable for you people to think a woman finds me cute?" Dean asked, exasperated. "You know, Mary, your mother found me quite adorable."

"Mom didn't see you in the hospital." She told her father. "You are like a badger when you get in here. Cute only gets you so far with a girl, Dad."

"It can get you far enough." Dean said. "You know, as long as her name isn't Mary Winchester. Because then it shouldn't get them far at all. Like, not even five hundred feet close."

Mary laughed. "Are all fathers such hypocrites?" She asked.

"Yes." Jack said. "It's the natural order of things."

"That is soo wrong." She said changing the channel once more. "The cable here sucks, Dad."

"Daytime TV sucks, honey." Dean said easily. "God I hope Sam isn't deciding my garage needs to change. Or there will be two Winchesters in the hospital. I swear. And why am I a badger? Why can't I be a bear or something?"

"Because-" Mary paused and laughed. "Okay Dad... you're a grumpy old bear." After all, hadn't something come into his territory and gone after his cubs? "A grumpy old Mama Bear." Because male bears were usually the ones doing the going after not the protecting. Mother Nature's version of population control.

Dean scowled at that. Mama bear? Oh that was just great. "Forget I said anything." He said, shaking his head. "Leave it to my daughter to completely insult and degrade my masculinity. Why didn't I drop her on her head more often as a child, Jack?"

"Because you did that when you were raising Sam and realized the error of your ways." Jack pointed out.

"Yeah, think what I would be like without brain damage." Sam said entering the room as if on cue.

"Insufferable." Dean said. "And you didn't bring food either. I'm really not feeling the love here, people. Thought when relatives were being threatened, blackmailed and restrained in a hospital they were supposed to be treated like gold or something."

"Yeah." Jack said. "Man... have you seen Fort Knox? Is that really how you wanna go?" He teased.

"You aren't cleared for solid food yet. Once you get cleared for the real stuff.. I'll sneak in a cheese burger." Sam promised.

"You better." Dean said, with his best imitation of grumpy and bothered. "I already did that whole hospitalization under armed guard. Really not that much fun. Besides, I'm not 'going' anywhere but home." He got looks for that and sighed. "Not now, I know. Okay, I know."

Tessa woke up and looked up at Dean for a moment before gently easing off him and yawning.

"Morning sunshine." Sam said and touseled her hair. "Simon says to tell you hi by the way."

"Okay." Tessa said with a just waking up smile. "I'll see him later I bet."

"Absolutely." Dean said. "Because you two are not hanging around a hospital all day. I'll need you two to go to the garage and make sure that Sam didn't mess everything up in the few hours he was in charge."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Yeah, cause at my age, obviously I don't know how to deal with a garage as well as a 16 year old girl." He shook his head. "Yeah you better go... after all... someone has to be there to take delivery of the new signs, pink paint and 42 cases of WD-40 I ordered." He said sarcastically.

"I'm just saying you have your own ideas that work, and they're not the same as mine." Dean pointed out. "Mary, on the other hand, has been completely brain washed to my way of thinking. Need proof? Quick, favorite band."

"Metallica." His daughter replied. It was actually debatable whether she even liked Metallica, but she knew that was the right answer. Had from the age of two.

Sam laughed. "Right... and you had her naming the top 10 muscle cars at 4 and the parts of a pistol when taken completely apart at 6. Answering with Metallica is like asking her what the capitol of Texas is. " He shook his head. "I didn't change anything at the shop."

"Metallica is much cooler than the capital of Texas." Dean said with a laugh. "Damn, there goes one excuse to get out of here." He joked. "Fine, I trust you not to lose my main source of income while I'm being held hostage in here. You bring the weapons?" He had a knife. But this was an old hospital. So he hadn't slept last night, even though under his bed was a careful line of protection set by Jack. Because he didn't have a shot gun full of rocksalt at his disposal. Him and hospitals never had mixed in the past, why should they start now?

"Yes, but you know what will happen if they find them." Sam said. "So I will come and sit with you tonight so you can sleep, Kevin will be here after he gets through with running errands for Rachel, and Jack here gets morning shift. So you are covered regardless. "

"I don't need to be covered, I need to be armed." Dean said. "It's a hospital. I think I can hide weapons here." Okay, he had unrealistic fears about hospitals. Things normal people shouldn't be afraid of. He wasn't afraid of death, or malpractice, or catching some weird ass super bug. He was more concerned about restless spirits, poltergeists, and demons.

"You will have both." Sam said. "Because you need to sleep and you won't sleep even with a gun under your pillow."

"Yeah, well, sleep is overrated." Dean grumbled.

"Daddy..." Mary said. "They're not going to let you out of here until they're sure you're fine. Not when you're sure you're fine. You need to rest and convince them. They're not going to send someone home who's slept all of three hours the entire time."

"Thank you." Jack said. "That's what we keep trying to tell him. But you know your father."

"Yeah, yeah." Dean said, rolling his eyes. "That's why you enlisted my own daughter. Traitors. The lot of you really." He said as a nurse came in to give him his medication. "Hey, look, it's one of my favorite nurses. Jack, tell her I've behaved. She said if I behave I get to walk tonight." He said with a grin.

"What were the terms of his behaving?" Jack asked with a grin.

"Staying in bed."

"Check." Dean said with a grin.

"Eating breakfast and lunch." She said, looking pointedly at the half finished food.

"It's crap." He protested.

"That was the deal." She said as he promptly finished the food.

"Check." He said after he swallowed.

"And taking his meds." She said, handing him a small cup full of capsules and pills.

"What are these?" He asked.

"Uh uh! We had a deal." She said.

"It's nearly like dealing with a child with him." Mary said, shaking her head.

"I've been noticing that." Caitlin said. "Come on... take your meds, or no walking this afternoon. So you are saying he is always like this?" She asked with a smile. Dean didn't bother her so much.

"Strangely enough, this is behaving for him." Mary said with a chuckle as Dean took his meds, taking out the ones he recognized as pain pills and setting them aside.

"See? I'm behaving. And I'm not hurting, so you can't drug me up." He protested.

"You will be once we get things secured and you out of bed." She told him. "And then you won't want to walk and well, we have to get you walking or you won't ever get to get out of here."

He remembered checking himself out and catching a cab the first time he was dying, that time of heart failure. That hadn't been painless. Then Sam and him dragging their father's corpse out of the morgue for a proper burial when he was barely off crutches. Sneaking out of the hospital in Chicago after all that physical trauma he'd received at the hands of Meg. Then he quirked an eyebrow at his nurse.

"Trust me, I'm fine." He said with a grin. "I leave the crying to Sammy. And the whining to Jack. Oldest brother gets to delegate."

"Yeah I've heard that one before. Oldest brothers claim a lot of things based on an accident of birth." Caitlin said. " I've seen your chart, none of these is going to knock you out if that's what you're worried about." Although she was starting to wonder if it was an addiction he was trying to avoid with out having to cop to it. He had alot of the signs given his high tolerance for major narcotics.

Dean exchanged glances with his brothers. Sure, it was pure stubborness on his part that he wasn't taking the pain pills. But it wasn't like he could explain why.

"It's one of the things." He said. "Look, if I need them, I'll call for them." Yeah, like that would happen, but it sounded like a good compromise.

"And walking will cause you pain... which can make even the strongest men collapse. You collapse and you could further damage yourself and wind up in surgery." She tried one last attempt. It wasn't as though she could force him to take them, and she certainly wasn't going to question him about possible addiction in front of his family.

"Well, if I end up in surgery, no peeking under the sheet while I'm under. Because that's not fair." He said with a grin as he left the pain pills alone. Those wouldn't touch his pain anyway, not that he was going to tell them that. Or anyone in the room for that matter.

"You didn't strike me as the bashful type." Caitlin teased. "Okay... well.. I am going to go and get you a robe to put on, and then we will shoo people out while we get you situated for a walk." She smiled at the family as well as she left the room.

He grinned triumphantly at his family. "See? I was SO well behaved, I get walked before dinner instead of after." He joked. "It's all right. You guys can go. I'll call you girls later." He was fully expecting Sam back with a light arsenal that night though.

"Come on, kid." Mary said to Tessa. "Let's go see if Simon wants to help us paint your room."

"Okay." She said and kissed Dean on the cheek before sliding very carefully from the bed and going over to take Mary's hand.

"Come on, I'll buy ya lunch." Sam said to Jack as they started out of the room all together.

He waved as they all left and took a few minutes to compose himself. Okay, it hurt like hell. But he thought he did a good job convincing at least Tessa that it wasn't all that bad, and the doctors and nurses were just paranoid and wanting the co pays. At least he hoped.

Caitlin came back with bandages for his ribs, a set of slippers and a robe. "I have to wrap your ribs before we can do this. What you are going to have to do is give a hard exhale and hold your breath while I wrap this tightly."

"Oh the day keeps getting better and better." He said. He was in a pair of sweatpants, at least Jack had brought them in the night before along with everything else. He'd had enough experience in a hospital gown to last a lifetime! But he carefully sat up, wincing, but did as requested. That was not fun, having his ribs wrapped. He'd had it done a million times before, his first broken rib was at the age of eight (surprisingly in a normal childhood accident too), that was a lot of broken ribs. This took it to a new level as he inhaled and let out a shaky breath when she was done. "Wow. If this nursing thing doesn't work out for you, I'm sure Helga can find a position for you at her House of Pain."

She actually laughed at that. "I'll keep that in mind, but I doubt I would get the adrenaline rush from Helga's House of Pain. So... you sure you don't want to take those pain meds before we head out there?" She asked gently, as she disconnected the IV hose long enough to get his arm through the sleeve of the robe then reconnected it.

"I'll take you up on that. Half what you were going to give me before." Dean said. "I take too many pills here as it is."

"Fair enough. I will give you a few minutes for that to kick in and then we'll walk. We can discuss the other half when we get you back here again." She said with a smile. It was definitely different. Usually patients with the smallest of injuries were calling for a shot of morphine. Here was a man who deserved a morphine drip, refusing the light weight narcotics.

"Sure." Dean said. "Won't take them though. Don't like the way they make me feel." That sounded good, right? Narcotics could make people loopy and feel all light headed and like they were floating. "Besides, isn't there a cliche that what does not kill us makes us stronger or something like that?" He took the pill and counted to thirty. "Okay I'm ready." Sitting around was getting to him.

"Okay." She said as she picked up the machine attached to his tubes and put it in her far hand and pulling his IV pump over. "Think you can hang on to that one?" She asked before helping him to his feet.

"Yeah, I got this." Dean said, holding onto the pole as he stood up. Fire raced up his side, and he realized just how much blood he had lost by how much his head swam. And it swam a lot. Thank god for the IV pole as he took those first steps forward. "As long as you got that. Cause pulling out my chest tube just to get me to take those pain pills is really low."

Caitlin laughed "Oh no, we are to protect that tube with our lives if we have to. Its in the orders." She told him. "They figure we wouldnt get you to stay still long enough to get another one in." She stayed close to Dean ready to support him if needed, or ease him to the floor if it came to that.

Dean had to laugh. "They're probably right. Took both my brothers to hold me down to get this one in." He said with a grin as they made a slow circuit around the hall. Slower than Dean would have liked, but she was setting the pace, not him. Which was probably just as well.

"Brothers are good for that. You know holding you down and making you take your medicine." She said with a smile. "Jack's a good guy. I got to know him a bit when I was pulling ED duty."

Dean laughed. "Don't believe a word he says about me." Dean said. "Unless it was good. Then you can believe it. He's the youngest, so he can be a brat. Sam's a pain and a micromanager. Me? I'm an angel."

"Angel? You're one of those angels that holds their halo on with horns, and I don't need Jack to tell me that." The other nurses talked. Dean was either flirting or snarking. Usually depending on how much pain he was in and how much he didn't want to do what he was being cornered into doing.

"Uh oh, are you telling me I'm a topic of conversation at the nurses' station?" He said, green eyes gleaming with humor. This walk wasn't so bad. "Do I even want to know?"

"No you don't." She said with a laugh. "Why don't we take a breather over here." She said indicating a bench flanked by two plastic trees.

The break was a good idea. Even if he didn't know it until he sat down. He guarded his ribs as he sat down with an exhale. "So how'd I do? Good enough to use the bathroom if I wanted?" He asked with a grin. As opposed to a urinal.

"Not yet." Caitlin said. "Not without a nurse there to walk you into the bathroom." He had two things to hang onto as he walked if he did it on his own, and she suspected the effort it would take to actually get there would make it less appealing.

"Could get rid of the IV." He suggested. He already only had it running for his antibiotics. To him it was a form of restraint and he threatened to tear the whole thing out if they tried to hang fluids on him.

"No, because we need it there in case you tear something and need blood again. Besides, would you really want me to put a new one in every 4 hours when I bring in the antibiotics?" Caitlin shivered "This hospital has more cold drafts wafting through it than any place I have ever been."

Dean felt it too and he had stiffened. It wasn't a draft. He knew the difference between a draft and a cold spot. Just great. But he put the smile back on. "Old building." He said, his mind already cranking toward a hunt. All pain forgotten, as it usually was when he got in that mode. It would come back to bite him later, but right now he was fine as he stood up. "So you're going to be bringing in the antibiotics every four hours. Around the clock. Knew you were obsessed with me." Because even in a hunt, even in a hospital, Dean could be counted on to flirt with a pretty girl.

She laughed a little as she stood up. "Oh yeah... that's why I'm pulling a double today. Just so that I can be around you." She teased in return shaking her head. She had been warned he was a flirt and that was fine. He wasn't a jerk about it so it was all good.

"I knew it." Dean said with a wink as they started their slow progress back toward his room. He felt fine, because his mind was on other things, but she was setting the pace, seeing as she was holding onto his chest tube. "Think this thing can come out soon? Can't sleep, I sleep on that side."

"Another day or so. At least that is the plan so far. The doctor will know more when he takes a look at you today." Caitlin told him. "Better to have it in longer than necessary than to have to go and put it back in later."

Dean laughed. "Course, easy for you to say. You're not the one with the hose sticking out of your chest." He pointed out. He liked her company well enough, actually pretty well, but there were cold spots he wanted to investigate.

"Well, it's easy for me to say because I'm not the one that gets to make the decision on that. But really... would you want to go through having it inserted again?"

"I wouldn't." He said with a shrug. They'd have to do more than hold him down the next time. But he got back to his room, let her unhook his antibiotic, and feigned sleeping. Chatted with Sam and told him that he took a sleeping pill so he wouldn't feel Sam staring at him all night.

Finally, Sam fell asleep, and Dean carefully picked up his chest tube suction container, made sure his sawed off shot gun was loaded with rock salt, and went hunting.

Caitlin went in to administer the antibiotic IV, and frowned seeing him not in his bed. His brother was sleeping in the chair and she decided to leave him there. She looked into the bathroom, which was empty, and the frown turned into a scowl.

She left the room, and went in search of her patient. One fall and he could wind up in alot worse shape then he was already in.

Dean followed the cold spots to the basement. Figured he'd get stuck in a haunted hospital. Because that was his luck. Then again gave him something to do, so it wasn't like he could complain too much.

Okay, he could complain. A lot. Because this was one pissed off spirit. He'd gritted his teeth when he got slammed into a wall. "Come on, it's not fair play to pick on an injured guy!" He called out as he made sure his shotgun was loaded. This bitch was going down!

Caitlin had followed the Dean sightings... and wouldn't it figure he would take the stairs. What the hell was going through this man's mind? She had half a mind to break out the 4 point restraints but figured that would be too much temptation for the rest of the staff.

Because he took the stairs, she had to take the stairs. "Please don't let him have fallen. Because if he has, I am going to kill him. " She muttered, eventually making her way to the basement.

Dean was slammed into another wall and slid to the ground with a groan, catching his breath. Okay, so he wasn't in peak condition. He rolled as an old discarded piece of furniture was thrown at him, right over the chest tube site, swearing loudly as he did so. "Son of a bitch!" He said as he got to his feet and cocked the shotgun. "Okay, come on, show yourself you son of a bitch."

"What the hell?" Caitlin exclaimed, seeing the night stand flying out of no where. "I'm hallucinating... I have to be hallucinating."

"Yeah, you're hallucinating." Dean said, letting her believe that as he handed her his chest tube drainage container. "Here, hold this." He said, now he had two hands as he scanned the basement. Right there, by an old desk, there it was. A cipher of a man in an old fashioned hospital gown covered in blood, looking half rotted where he stood. "Hey!" He said and shot the rock salt at it, the sound echoing throughout the basement.

"What the hell is going on?" She demanded. "What is that thing?" She wanted to believe she was hallucinating. It would be easy to believe. Except that she didn't have a fever and hadn't come into contact with any hallucinogens since her sophomore year in college.

"Restless spirit." Dean said with a shrug, holding his side. He found a chair and righted it, sitting down heavily in it. "Oh man that didn't tickle. Don't give me that look. You know, a ghost. Don't believe me? Then what did you just see and what did I just shoot? Look, would probably be better if you believe you're hallucinating. Trust me." Sometimes, ignorance really was bliss.

"Right... at which point I have to assume you are crazy and call the men in the white coats to bring me a hug me jacket." She said. "Right now that thing isn't important. I have to get you upstairs and into your room so I can take a look at what you have managed to do. Besides... security will be looking for the source of those gun shots."

"I haven't managed to do anything." Dean said with a scowl as he took his container back from her and went about using the dissipated salt from the blast to make a binding circle. "Do a lot of people come down here? If they do, I'm gonna need some paint instead." The spirit had dissipated right here, in this spot. He could bind it. But without a body, he couldn't do anything more. And considering how old this hospital was, a body would be hard to come by.

"Not often. And you bounced off a wall with a free floating section of rib in your chest. You managed to do something." She told him. "Do what you need to now, and let's get you back to bed. When you are released, we can come back down here and put something permenent in place... I can't believe I am saying that."

Dean couldn't help it, he smirked at her. "Any excuse to get me in a secluded area, huh?" He said as he arranged the salt in a careful pattern. "Yell at the wall for being so damn hard, not me."

"How about I yell at you for getting out of bed in the first place?" Caitlin said as she then helped him to his feet. "I'll cover for you this once...but if you do this again, I won't."

"Have any strange occurances? Like equipment that wouldn't work? Windows mysteriously broken? Lots of cold drafts?" He said. It was all tied to that spirit. At least he hoped it was one. He caught his breath finally. "It doesn't hurt as bad as you think it does. I have an incredibly high pain tolerance. But this..." He said, stashing the gun on his person again, "is why I won't take the pain meds. They mess with my aim."

"Incredibly high pain tolerance is a wonderful thing... but that doesn't mean you haven't injured yourself or exacerbated an already existing injury. Just means you aren't going to cry about it. Come on... let's get you to the room so I can take a look at things."

"All right, all right." Dean said with a chuckle. "You nurses keep trying to get me out of my clothes. Seriously, I'm more than a piece of meat you know."

She shook her head. "Nah just hoping that modesty will keep you in bed. Would hate to have you die on my watch after all."

"Good answer." Dean said as he carefully climbed up the stairs. "But I think when we get off these stairs and back onto the first floor...we should take the elevator."

"I agree. I don't take the stairs if I can avoid it. However I did all the way down here in hopes of not finding you in a heap at the bottom of them. So, your brother is going to kill you, isn't he?"

"Stairs are good for staying in shape." Dean said. Not that he had a problem with staying in shape. He was built like his father, not an ounce of fat on him. As anyone involved in his dressings knew. "And he's not going to kill me, because you won't tell him. Actually you can't. Whole patient confidentiality thing." He said with a grin. "We'll just keep it a secret between us."

"Right," She said. "And he sleeps like the dead then, because I have to turn on the light, to see what damage you've done...What on earth possessed you to go chasing down a ghost and shoot at it?"

"Because that's how you get rid of a ghost. Unless you know where the body is, then I can get rid of it for good." Dean said. "I heard enough complaints about malfunctioning equipment. Only a matter of time before it was something important, if it hadn't already happened. Just tell Sam I went for a little walk is all."

"Does he know you do this? go chasing after ghosts?" She asked in hushed tones.

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah. So does my other brother, and all the kids." Dean said as they got to the elevator. When it closed, he pushed the stop button. "You want the whole truth on how I got here in this hospital?"

"I have a feeling I am going to regret this... but yeah... I do." There had been speculation on that amongst the staff, but she was pretty sure that when he told her, she wouldn't be able to repeat it anyway.

"Demons." Dean said bluntly. "Herded the mall people into the sewers with the whole point of eating them." He left out how the mall people had been cattle because Tessa was there, and that's who they were really after. Everyone else was just extra on the buffet table. "My brothers and I, this is what we do. Doesn't pay the bills, so we have real jobs, but this is what we do. So we went down to the sewers and destroyed the demon. I, obviously, took a bad hit."

"You know, if I hadn't just seen a ghost I might be calling for some serious drugs and restraints right now." Caitlin admitted. "Demons... "

"Yeah, it takes some time to get used to it." Dean said. He certainly wasn't going to tell her that there were demons that could pass as human. And she had talked to one already (Ben). "Look, it's a family business. So when I see something hinky going on, I gotta stop it."

She nodded. "I get that. And I suppose I am grateful that you stopped whatever it was here. But right now my first priority is your health. So ... if you pull this stunt again... since your brothers are capable of doing it for you... I'll make sure you don't have the option of getting out of bed without help."

"Are you going to tie me up? Can I send Sam home first?" He asked with a wink. He couldn't help it. He was still in that post adrenaline rush of a hunt gone well.

"You're a frisky one. I can tell why the staff is divided. You know... whether we should smother you in your sleep or take you home for recovery."

"Yeah, that's about right." Dean said with a laugh. He pulled the button to start the elevator again. "Seriously though, Sam worries too much. So I just went for a little walk is all, and you caught me before I got too far."

"Okay, this time, but don't do it again. I'm serious." Caitlin said with a sigh. Not like she could tell anyone else otherwise, they wouldn't believe her.

"Next time I'll try not to get caught." He said with a grin as they returned to the floor. He winked at one of the other nurses, who, upon seeing him called security to let them know they found their wandering patient.

"Next time had better be when you have been released from the hospital." She said quietly, for his ears only. "I'll get him settled back in." She told the other nurses, rolling her eyes to indicate her general frustration.

Dean chuckled. "Yes, ma'am." He said as they headed back to his room. "How about the check over in the morning?" He whispered, Sam was still sleeping. Of course, Dean had spiked his coffee, but who was telling?

"Not a chance." She said quietly, indicating he should sit down and shrug out of the robe so she could undo the wrapping around his ribs. She needed to make sure that hose was exactly where it needed to be.

"You're getting off on this little power trip, aren't you?" He said as he carefully took off the robe and sat down on the bed, wincing when the springs squeaked. Not that it hurt, not really, but that it might wake his brother up.

"Oh yeah... that's why I went into nursing, to push around grown men who misbehave." She said shaking her head. She unwrapped the bandage and double checked to make sure everything was as it should be.

Everything was a little more bruised than before, but he hadn't disturbed too much. The chest tube was still in place, and his ribs looked a little more intact than they had when he came into the ER. He was making progress, slower than HE would have liked, but quicker than the medical people thought he would.

"See? Everything's fine." He said.

"You are damned lucky." She told him as she rebound his ribs. "I'm serious, commit suicide on someone else's shift." She got the equipment settled once more, out of sight of the small one that would be in the next morning.

"Oh, sweetheart, lucky left me along time ago. I operate purely on skill and chance." He said with a smirk. "And who said anything about suicide? If I were suicidal I would have thrown myself down the stairs."

"Chance... luck... semantics. Are you always this difficult or is it the uniform that brings out the best in you?" She asked with a smile.

"Difficult? I thought I was being easy going and flexible." He said. "Wow. Difficult, huh? I'll have to think on that one."

"Easy going and flexible huh..." She raised an eyebrow. "Right... then I would hate to see difficult." She said with a laugh. "Just stay put...no ghost hunting for a few days alright? For my sanity. I promise I will tell you if there is any more trouble if you promise to stay put."

"Oh, so you'll report back and then forbid me to do anything about it?" Dean said with a laugh as he eased back into the bed. "You're a tease, you know that? Big, big tease on top of that."

"Nah...just giving you a reason to want to get well faster. Because THEN you can take care of it... and you won't need to go investigating further if I report back what's going on, now will you?"

"Oh fine." Dean said with a laugh as he smothered a yawn. "Okay, crashing now. I promise, I won't get out of bed for the rest of the night."

"Okay. I will check in on you in a few hours." She told him as she turned to leave the room, closing the door behind her.

"Ghost hunting?" Sam asked as he shifted into the upright position. He had been woken up when they had come back in but figured if he wanted the story he should stay quiet where he was.

"Absolutely not." Dean said with a laugh as he settled himself in the bed. "I went for a walk. Paranoid much?"

"Sure, that's why the nurse said no ghost hunting for a few days, Why didn't you wake me up... thought that was why I was sitting here with you."

"That's why you thought you were sitting here with me." Dean corrected him. "Besides, you were sleeping, and you needed your beauty sleep. I swear, you look worse than I do and I'm the one hospitalized. You sure they checked you over fully?"

"So why am I here then?" He asked frowning at his brother. "Damn it Dean, what did you have to prove tonight? That you can get yourself killed in a hospital as easy as Dad did?"

"Dude, do I look dead? I'm not dead, okay?" Dean said, scowling. "It your all your idea, yours and Jack's, that I had to be babysat. Not mine. Remember? I appreciate you being here, don't get me wrong, but don't put this on me. This is what I do. I'm a mechanic for money, but I'm a hunter. This is what I do."

"You don't have to do it while you are hurt. Dean, this isn't a minor thing... having free floating ribs in there is not a minor thing." Sam said running his hand through his hair.

"Sam, I'm fine. I'm always in some degree of pain. I've got freaking arthritis in every single bone in my body." Dean said. "Some days, I don't want to get out of bed. But I do. Because to do otherwise is worse than dying. I could do something, you were sleeping. Leave it at that."

"Damn it, Dean." He said. "What do I have to do to make you want to take care of yourself?"

"Dude, how am I not taking care of myself?" Dean asked. He truly didn't see it. "I don't smoke, the doc says my cholesterol is fine. Honestly I should have been dead twenty years ago. I work seven days a week, I'm in better shape than most of the fathers of Mary's friends."

"You could have killed yourself tonight." Sam said. "If you had fallen wrong or been thrown wrong, you could have shoved one of those damned floating ribs into your lungs and died. Damn it, do you want to live long enough to raise those girls or what?"

"How can you ask me that with a straight face?" Dean shot back. "I'm fine. And it's not floating as much as everyone thinks. Hate to break it to you, but I'm not as fragile as you like to think I am."

"You're not as invincible as you think you are either." Sam pointed out. "You aren't immortal, Dean. If I were in that bed, you wouldn't put up with this at all. You need to start taking care of yourself the same way you take care of me and Jack."

Dean shook his head. "I'm not exactly sure what you want from me. Sit at home wrapped in bubble wrap?" Dean said. "Look, it had to be done. Okay? It was fooling around with medical equipment here."

"Then you should have told me and Jack." Sam said. "And no, I don't expect you to sit at home wrapped in bubble wrap. I expect you to stay in the hospital bed when you need to. My god, we could have lost you."

"But you didn't." Dean countered then he sighed. " Fine, fine, I wasn't thinking as straight as I should have been, all right? Caitlin felt a cold spot, I smelled a hunt, and for a little while, I felt better."

"You will be back on your feet and out of here in no time. Just... be patient. So how did the hunt go and so... I take it the nurse, Caitlin, believes in ghosts?"

"She does now." Dean said. In a way he hated robbing the normal people of their illusions of safety from what he fought against on a daily basis. "I tried to convince her she was having a hallucination and she threatened to tie me up. That woman has a thing for threatening to restrain me. Kinda kinky if you ask me."

"You sound hopeful." Sam said with a grin. "You into redheads these days?" He teased. "Of course it could just be that it was wishful thinking on her part, you know... desperately wishing for a normal patient."

"I'm a normal patient." Dean said. "Kinda. Got any Tylenol on you? I promised her I'd go to sleep, she'll ream me if she knew I was still up. And as cute as that is, not up to it right now."

"You think it's cute when she tears into you? Dude... that's... " He laughed. "That's funny as hell." He said and handed over two tylenol for him.

Dean took the Tylenol and washed them down with a cup of water from the bedside pitcher. "Dude, you think it's funny as hell whenever anyone rips into me." He pointed out. "Too bad you pretended to sleep, you coulda had a front row seat."

"Figured that was the only way to get a front row seat, I woke up when you came in the door." Sam told him.

"You're such a sneak." Dean said, laughing, then groaning. "Shit, okay, this is pain." He said, chuckling. The adrenaline rush had worn off, now he got to pay the price for his latest stunt. He hated this part.

"Yep, you might want to stay put for a while then... maybe even ask for a shot to get you through the night. They have non narcotic stuff, you know."

"Dude, I'm fine. This is nothing, really." Dean said as he fought for a comfortable spot in the bed. Finally settling for a not so aggravating spot in the bed. "But I'm staying put tonight, so feel free to give back into the sleeping pill I gave you earlier."

"You drugged me?" Sam exclaimed, suddenly infuriated. "I.. you... Dean... " He rose and started pacing. "What the hell were you thinking? What if... " he let it drop and growled. "Do not ever do that again. Especially not when I am here to watch over you."

"That's exactly why I did it." Dean said. "Dude, you were sitting in the chair staring at me. Even if I was going to go to sleep then, no way was I going to get any sleep with you staring at me with your beady little eyes." He shook his head. "Come on, relax. Nothing happened. Fine, I promise I won't drug you again, okay?"

"Don't lie to me. You drugged me so that you could go out and hunt the ghost cause you knew I wouldn't let you out of bed. And you better believe I am holding you to that promise, Dean. That was pretty low."

"Okay, I drugged you because you insist on treating me like a five year old. And, for some odd reason, I have this huge big problem with it." Dean said, watching his brother. "But even if I wanted to sleep, I still wouldn't have been able to with you staring at me as if you expect me to disappear into thin air. That wasn't a lie." One would think that Sam would have more faith in his brother's survival skills.

"I'm not treating you like a 5 year old. I am treating you like a man with a history of getting out of his hospital bed and going home long before he should. And right now you are still pretty badly banged up."

"My definition and the staff's definition of when I'm fine kinda differ." Dean said, squirming in the bed again. "Sam, I'm stuck here, okay? You sicced my kids on me for Christ's sake!"

"And you still got up and went after something when you weren't healed yet." Sam pointed out. "Yes I sicced your kids on you, since what seeing you hurt yourself does to me isn't enough to keep you in place, and obviously you still don't give a damn about yourself."

"Are you kidding? I love myself. I've got the biggest ego in the world, you know that." Dean said. "Sam, the point of the pill was so that you wouldn't have to see anything. Give me a little credit, okay?"

"Dean, garden slugs have a better opinion of themselves than you do. That hasn't changed since we were kids." He wasn't going to argue that point about the pill, Sam was just convinced that it was more so that Sam wouldn't see and prevent anything.

Dean shook his head. "Fine, Sam." Dean said. "Just stop acting like I'm suicidal and everything." If Sam had this much fear for Dean, how was Dean going to get him to 'wake up' as his most inner hidden voice had put it. "Can we just get some sleep now? Me on sleep deprivation is worse than me bored."

"Promise to stay put this time?" Sam asked as he pulled his chair over closer to Dean's bed. He felt like a heel for letting Dean trick him like that, his brother could have died so easily and Sam would have been snoring through it.

"Nope." Dean said. "But I do promise that if I get up tonight, it'll be with a nurse or an aide, and strictly to go to the bathroom and back. How's that?" He moved over in the bed in case Sam wanted to put his feet up on the side of the bed.

"Okay... that I can agree to." Sam said as he sat down in the chair once more. "I can't believe you drugged me." He shook his head, still feeling the tug of the medication. "That's... that's low." He was mostly teasing now.

"That's what brothers are for." Dean said with a chuckle as he got semi comfortable. "Just get some sleep, okay? So when Jack comes in the morning, we look bright eyed and bushy tailed. And completely calm."

"you think I wont tell him...guess again"Sam said as he settled down in the chair "Good night Dean." He was still angry with Dean but figured talking wasnt going to do any good.

"Night Sammy." Dean said. He'd think of a good reason not to tell Jack...in the morning. Because BOTH his brothers ganging up on him would be too much. 

Caitlin came in several times through the night. More peeking in to be sure that Dean had kept his word and stayed in his bed than anything else. She administered his medications through the IV that night, letting him sleep as much as possible. However at 6am, she came in to take his vitals before getting of work. 

Dean didn't open his eyes but he was awake. "So did I at least earn a cookie?" He teased. "Though Sammy should be put in a corner, he was awake when I got back last night. How unfair is that?" He said when he felt the blood pressure cuff tighten around his bicep. 

"Well, you have earned what passes for real food for breakfast." She said, listening to the gurgling in his stomach. "How about we start with that? And as for your brother, he should have been awake when you were sneaking out so you are right... straight to the corner." She said with a laugh, then a yawn. "Oh... excuse me." 

Dean waved it off. "Don't worry about it. Sixteen hours, if you weren't tired, I'd start an exorcism." He said with a wink. "You know, I can do that without getting out of bed. So that should be allowed, right?" 

"I suppose that would depend on what it would do to your blood pressure and how loud you were, but I don't anticipate any possessed individuals just waltzing into your room." She said with a soft laugh. 

Dean chuckled. She'd be surprised. So it was probably best to stay quiet on that subject. "Well, get some rest when you get out of here. I got everything taken care of on this end, promise." 

"Okay. You better be in this bed when I come back on duty tonight." She told him with a smile. "Get some rest." She said as she wheeled the machine out of the room. 


	4. Chapter 4

Kevin had come and left. Dean was being released today, and it was his job to smuggle the weapons out. Because he had that kind of face that screamed 'innocent' along with 'I will shoot myself in the foot.' Perfect for taking out weapons and such.

All the tubes were out, just steristrips over where the chest tube had been, and taped gauze for the IV site. Dean was dressed in normal clothes, and was tying the laces of his boots when an aide brought in a wheelchair.

"Hey, Jack, they brought your ride." He commented. Because if they thought he was riding in that thing, they had another thing coming.

"Oh I don't think so, man that is for you. Hospital rules. See, it even comes with a blonde behind the wheel." Jack pointed out. "Come on, suck it up. And sit in the chair."

Dean gave Jack a dirty look and dropped his bag in the seat of the chair. "Nearly like valet service here, thanks." He said.

"Mr. Winchester, it's protocol and policy..." the aide protested.

"I know. I'm a rule breaker though." He said with a wink and a grin.

"Dean...do you want to go home? Then sit in the chair and let the nice lady wheel you down to the car. "Jack said with his arms folded across his chest.

"Dude, I don't need to be wheeled. I feel great." Dean said. "You need to relax, or I'll send you back home and call Kaylie, tell her you've been misbehaving." He started to walk out of the room; he'd been in the damn bed long enough.

"Just follow along behind." Jack told the aide. It wasn't like they could force the man into the chair. If he got woozy Jack would be there to ease him into the chair.

Jack was frustrated. Dean could feel that a mile away. So he smirked at his youngest brother. Three weeks of torture fromboth Jack and Sam, it was the least they deserved. After his successful, non injury producing ghost hunt, they took Dean sitting to a whole new level, nearly sitting on him at times.

So, needless to say, Dean gota bit of sick enjoyment over this small little torture of Jack as they walked out. He waved to the nurses as they headed toward the elevator. He felt fine. Everything was healed, even the doctor said so. Quicker than the doctor expected, Dean Winchester had been a very unusual patient to say the least.

"I'm driving." He said as he hit the button for the ground floor.

"Dream on. Brought my car, the younger Impala is pining for you at home." Jack said as he leaned against the wall of the elevator. He had to try and put his foot down somewhere after all.

Dean rolled his eyes. "You suck." He said. "Fine, guess you can drive then. Even though the fact that your car is still running is all because of me, and some could say you definitely owe me. And I'm not sitting in the back seat. My bag is not going in the back seat. I have my suspicions on where you conceived those kids."

"On the beach." Jack said honestly. "Back seats don't give enough room to..." He let the conversation drop seeing the aide blush nicely at the way the conversation was going. "So, the girls have Tessa's bedroom painted nicely."

"Dude! Too much information." Dean said with a grimace. "Yeah, purple from what I heard. Should be interesting. But at least Kevin has his own room over at the new house, which I have yet to see. Time really does move on, doesn't it?" Dean said, bitter sweetly.

"Yeah it does. You okay with them moving out?" He asked as he opened the passenger's door to his car, setting Dean's bag in the back seat. He knew that the relationship with him and Sam wasn't the usual brotherly relationship. Not that it was weird, it was just more intense.

"Kid has to grow up sometime." Dean said with a chuckle as he sat in the front seat. Nothing hurt, nothing was unusually sore, definitely time to leave. "Besides, it's a full house, even for me. Bobby, Mary, Tessa, Kevin, Sam, Simon, Rachel...a man needs to breathe once ina while."

Jack laughed. "Yeah that would be a lot for even me to handle, but with one more on the way I may reach critical mass, although I swear if this one has anything in common with Sam I am gonna strangle him." He said, shaking his head. "Mark looks like you, Benji has Ben's gift for fire, Abby looks like her mother... I don't need a little Sam too." He teased.

"Dude, can't blame me for Mark." Dean said with a laugh. "That's kinda what you get when you marry a green eyed blonde when you have a brother who's a green eyed blonde. And when said brother and you both kinda resemble the big daddy of them all, well, it happens. Besides, you know there IS a fool proof way to prevent pregnancy..."

"Yeah, and I am giving it consideration after this one." He said with a laugh. "And cringing... even had nightmares about it." Jack admitted.

Dean laughed. "Dude, I was talking about that whole abstaining thing. Wow, my mind never even went there!" It wasn't a subject guys liked to think about after all. "But I don't know, you have one more after this one, you might have to get a minivan. Four is going to be tight in here." Could be done. Bench seats in the front, three in the back.

"Yeah well, this one came about with protection, and I'm not much for abstaining. Hello, beautiful wife...Winchester blood."

"You're always blaming things on the Winchester blood." Dean said with a laugh. "Could be her side you know. Don't worry, this one will be exactly like you, and you'll get to experience firsthand what a big pain in the ass you are."

"Yeah that's what we said about Benji... still not seeing the pain in the ass part." He said as he pulled into Dean's driveway.

"Yeah, you'll see." Dean said as he got out of the car before Jack got some idea to quickly come over and open his door for him. He went into his house before Jack could get some idea to open the door for him. "Daddy'shome!" He called out.

Mary peeked out of the kitchen. "Hey Dad, ready for real food?" She asked.

"Daddy!" Tessa called out, coming out of Bobby's den and running for Dean at full tilt.

That had happened spontaneously during the second week of his hospital stay. Calling him 'daddy.'Dean couldn't say he wasn't pleased or that he wasn't touched as he caught the running Tessa and lifted her up into the air. "I am so ready for real food." He said with a laugh.

Tessa laughed as he picked her up. He was home, and he was alive and the demons were gone. She didn't have to lose Simon forever to strangers. All was right with her little world.

"That's good." Bobby said finally making it into the living room. "Because she has been cooking all morning. I think there is enough in there for the whole clan." And clan was the right word for it. It wasn't just a family.

"Sounds good to me." Dean said and looked at Jack. "Dinner at my place tonight for once?" He said with a grin, since it was usually at Jack's. After being raised by Ben, he had a subconscious need to play with fire as much as possible. At least that was Dean's theory.

"If Mary is cooking, I think we can arrange that." Jack teased with a laugh. "I gotta go pick up Mark from baseball, then drop off Abby at tumbling, but I think somewhere between the two I can catch a glimpse of my wife before she gets Benji out the door for his play date to askher."

"Dude. Cell phones. Welcome to the twenty first century." Dean said with a laugh. "I can't believe I'm related to a soccer dad." He said as he grabbed a beer out of the fridge, one of the forbidden things on the list when he was in the hospital.

"I'm the normal one... remember." Jack said. "And what fun is a cell phone compared to being able to kiss her goodbye on the way out the door?" He said and turned toward the door.

Bobby looked Dean over. "Not so much fun being stuck in there, is it?" He said with a chuckle.

"Phone sex!" Dean called after Jack as he walked out the door. "Oh I had a ball. What are you talking about? I mean, besides the tubes sticking out and people trying to tell me what to do, I had a blast. I definitely recommend it for future vacations."

"Liar." Bobby said with a chuckle. "Sam told on you, so when you going back to bind the thing permanently?"

"I can't believe he told on me. What are we? Five?" Dean said. "I'm going back tonight. Don't want to let it go for too long. Bring the night shift some coffee, to make up for whatever slight aggravation I might have caused them. Excuses the bag and all I have to bring also. Gives me an excuse to get in there. Then I go from there."

"Who you taking with you?" Bobby asked. He didn't want Dean going in there alone. One ghost was expected in a house, or a dark patch of road. In a hospital? Bobby tended to expect a brigade of them.

"I have to take someone?" Dean said, making a face. "I don't know, if Sam can stop decorating and Jack can stop practicing procreation, I'll take one of them I guess. It's no big deal."

"What about Kevin?" Bobby suggested. "He could use a little experience." He said. "Sam's babying him too much if he wants him to be a hunter."

"I think a part of him hopes that Kevin will outgrow it or something." Dean said. "Sure, I'll take Kevin. This is an easy job, but four hands are better than two. I can convince Sam into it. After all, I fine tuned his hunting skills, right?"

"Good, cause Kevin isn't going to grow out of it. Sam is just kidding himself if he thinks so." Bobby said. "He said he'd be over here once he had things taken care of over at the shop."

"Wait, who'd be over? Sam or Kevin? Who's in my shop? Mary! You didn't let Kevin into the garage did you?" Dean asked. Kevin was inept with cars. And cars did not like him.

"Get real, Dad." Mary said.

"Sam will be over." Bobby said with a chuckle. "You got paranoid while you were gone." He shook his head and went to take a seat at the dining room table.

"I'm not paranoid. Just concerned about what puts food on the table." Dean said as he started pulling out some of the food Mary had made. She was a much better cook than him. "So everyone behave? Or is Sam going to rat you all out to me?"

"Behaved like angels." Mary said as she brought out lunch. "Got the room finished, Tessa moved in... didn't scare off the social worker when she came by to check on her. "

"Okay, that's not good evidence. I charmed the pants off, metaphorically speaking of course, off her when she came to see me." Dean said with a laugh. They'd been very flexible with him, given why he'd ended up there in the first place, and let him sign the papers while he was still hospitalized.

"Oh... Oh... Not good evidence, huh? Fine I was a terrible brat, gave Uncle Bobby hell the whole time you were gone, short sheeted Tessa's bed, and pushed your car off a cliff." Mary said rolling her eyes. "Whatever Dad."

"Watch the tone." Dean said with a chuckle, but meant it. His daughter had a long leash as far as that was concerned, but sometimes she needed a little tug on it. "Bobby, any movement on that other thing?" The yellow eyed demon.

"Not yet." He said. "Working on it. Things are heating up though. Getting a lot of reports of possessions and the like. Jo has had a lot of hunters coming through the road house with stories that would curl your toes."

"So it's spiking up again." Dean said as he dished out the food. "It's coming to a head again. Everything goes in cycles...god I hate geometry." He shook his head. "Then we have to ramp up our prep too."

"And figure out where the next gate way is before they figure out how to open it." Bobby said. "Course he might not take it lying down this time." Bobby pointed out.

"He didn't expect it last time." Dean said. "Figured I'd be too distracted with the search for Sam to do any real hunting of any kind. I don't know. I'll look for hot spots again. See what pops up for me."

"What are you getting into, minutes after getting out of the hospital?" Sam asked as he came in through the kitchen. "Dude, it's okay to rest a while."

"No rest for the wicked, Sammy." Dean said. "Come on, pull up a plate. After all, you convinced the nurses I was more wicked than Satan himself. So I don't get to rest. Blame yourself for that one!"

"Oh you did that all on your own." Sam said as he settled at the table, recognizing Mary's cooking. "You can't blame me for that one."

"Sure I can." Dean said. "Speaking of the nurses, thought I'd bring Kevin along tonight when I bring them all some coffee, to make up for you and Jack being pains in the asses while I was incarcerated...I mean hospitalized."

"You think there might still be ghost trouble then?" Sam asked. "Don't give me that look, you wouldn't take Kevin to be your wing man."

"I just think it would bea good experience." Dean said. "Sealing and binding restless spirits, that's basically our bread and butter, dude. What we come across the most. So he's gonna need to know how to do this with his eyes closed."

Sam sighed and nodded. "Yeah I know. Kept hoping he wouldn't want this so badly but it's in his blood as much as it is ours." He knew Rachel wasn't going to be exactly pleased even though they suspected it was going to be the way things were. "We'll talk to him when he gets here."

"So how's the garage?" Dean said. "You didn't fire anyone, did you? Or change things so much that it'll definitely stress me out?" He teased.

"He's so paranoid." Mary said, shaking her head.

"I've been saying that for years. It's all the time he spends in that possessed car. Get him more than 20 feet away from it or out from behind the wheel for more than a day and the paranoia sets in."

"It's not possessed and I'm not paranoid." Dean said witha chuckle as he handed Sam a plate of food. "You've been overly fixated on that car being possessed for over twenty years."

"It's possible it is." Bobby said. "Shoulda been in a scrap heap a long time ago."

"See! Bobby agrees with me." Sam said with a laugh. "Although to be fair she doesn't exactly repair herself."

Dean rolled his eyes as Mary and Tessa finished up and went about cleaning up. He looked at Sam. "According to Bobby, things are heating up." He said. "I know Jack wanted to see if we could wait until Kaylie delivered, but I don't think we can. I think we gotta start our hard core prep now." Even that could take months.

Sam nodded. "I think you are right. But we have Ben around, he'd be willing to protect Kaylie I'm sure. It's a neutral enough stance." He wanted it over with, to be honest. Then maybe he could get married in peace.

"Well, dinner at my house tonight. The kids can play, women talk, and we'll plan." Dean said with a nod. "Time for the big showdown I guess. Ever notice how ominous that always sounds?"

"Hugely ominous. Just so long as you don't call it the final showdown, cause it never is." Sam said."Not until hell actually freezes over." Bobby said. Or humanity finally lost.

"But at least one big evil will be gone, right?" Dean said. "Man, wish we had the Colt though, that would be a nice fool proof way." He sighed at that. The Colt was lost long ago. Along with their father.

"Yeah I know." Sam said. "But we'll ... get rid of him... we really will." He had to believe that. He didn't think he could keep his sanity if they couldn't.

"We'll get the son of a bitch." Bobby said, even though he knew he was reduced to research only at this stage of his life. Maybe defense of the homestead. But he was way past the time when he could have charged off to battle. Even if he wanted to. Sometimes the heart was stronger than the body.

"Okay...so we just need to get busy... and plan for war." Sam nodded. "So... are we playing with fire tonight or cooking indoors?" He wanted to tell Rachel what to prepare for.

"It's a nice night. Playing with fire." Dean said. "Even if Jack isn't touching my grill. That man is obsessed with fire, and thinks Abby gets it from Ben." He said, shaking his head in good humor. "And the littler kids can be outside, in eyeshot, and still not overhear."

"Works for me." Sam said as he scratched Ginger bear behind the ears, then slipped her a piece of food. "I'll gather the research I have and bring it over. "

"We'll get this started, then when everyone's tucking the kids into bed, Kevin and I will hit the hospital, I'll see if I can get some action," he said with a wink, "and we'll go from there."

Bobby laughed at that. "Some things never change." He said as he got to his feet and walked slowly toward his own domain. Sam couldn't help but smile. Bobby was right. Dean was the same man he had been last time they had encountered the demon. Even with two daughters, a business and a dog... not to mention the cranky old hunter.. Dean was still Dean, and he always would be.

"Well, according to Jack it's the Winchester blood." Dean said with a laugh. "That's why Kaylie's pregnant again, because we're all just horny dogs waiting for a good scratch."

Sam choked at that. "Guess Dad and I didn't really have our fair share of Winchester blood." He laughed. Sure John had a fling with Maggie, maybe even a full blown affair, and he still had suspicions about Ellen, but it wasn't like the guy was all over women any more than Sam had been.

"I told him that was ridiculous. You can tell him yourself." Dean said with a chuckle. "So," Dean said, now that everyone else had cleared out of the room, "any visions lately? I really don't believe all those Jedi powers of yours went away, you know.""Don't worry. No chances of me going darkside again, I promise. Been staying away from those things. The visions... hard to say. Sometimes there are little things in dreams but no brain shattering visions, thank goodness."

"Well, that's sorta my point. I don't think you'll go all darkside. But they might come in handy when we go into battle. Just saying don't rule it out, okay?" Dean said.

"It's been a long time, Dean... so much of that was... well it came from a dark place." Sam tried to explain. "It's a part of me that I don't know if I should open myself up to again. A better man than me gave his life to get me back to where I am... I don't want that to be for nothing."

"Well," Dean said and sighed. He couldn't very well share the dream he had had. Because, well, he was under some heavy drugs. Sam would discount it out of hand. "Well, how about seeing if you can use them from a place of not so dark?" Dean suggested. "Father Pavel said you had a choice, which way you went. Even Ben said it."

"Yeah, and I made that choice, but what if that means not using the powers at all, you know... " Sam knew his brother was right, they could come in handy in the upcoming battle, but it scared him. He had come too close to becoming shadow.

"I'm just saying keep an open mind." Dean said. "We're going to need all the tools at our disposal. This is a freaking fallen angel after all. Gonna see if I can get Jack to maybe work on some of that magic stuff. I wish I could take some of this load off you guys, but I can't. I'm regular old Dean, remember?"

"Yeah... regular old Dean that has saved my life more times than I can count. Don't sell yourself short, brother." Sam said pointedly. "You just gotta start being more careful, you are most of the way through your 9 lives."

"Heart attack, torture by demon then car accident, torture by demon again, nasty flu, torture by chest tube..." Dean said counting on his fingers, "nah, I got four left. I'm good."Sam laughed. "You're more than halfway, man. And only halfway through life if you follow Bobby's example." Which wouldbe a miracle in and of itself, or maybe just a testament to Winchester stubbornness.

"Dude, for your average Joe, I'm doing pretty good. Few moreyears and I'll have outlived Dad. We already outlived Mom." Dean said. "But be as old as Bobby? Dude, come on. How am I supposed to pick up women with a cane?"

"That's why you get one to keep around before the cane is necessary." Sam said with a laugh. "Another 10 years and I figure we'll be limping on both feet on a good day. Better get one while you can still chase them."

"Dude, you guys are always trying to get me to hook up." Dean said with a chuckle. "I think right now is really not the time to start a new relationship." Dean still had some abandonment issues. Sure, it wasn't like it was Chavi's fault that she 'left' him, but didn't change the way it felt.

"Yeah I know." Sam said. "At least not until Tessa is settled and the demon is gone... then all bets are off." He teased. He hated that Dean was alone. Everyone thought that Sam was the one that needed someone in his life, that he was the one that needed love and security and all that went with it, but Sam thought that Dean in some ways needed it more than he did. Which was perversely why Dean avoided it like the plague.

Dean rolled his eyes. "You're far too concerned with my social life." Dean said with a chuckle. "It's fine. You're just trying to not worry about Kaylie taking over your wedding. Since, you know, she had problems planning her own and all. Expect lots of pink."

"I somehow doubt Rachel will approve a lot of pink. And if she does... that's fine so long as I don't have to wear it." Sam said with a laugh. "You would think after 16 years you would let that one go."

"Dude, why would I?" Dean answered with a laugh. "It was the funniest thing I've ever seen. Who knew my brother, acclaimed exorcist, seasoned demon hunter, and possessor of cool Jedi mind tricks, was also a wedding planner? Who immersed himself in place cards and flower samples."

Sam gave Dean a quizzical look. "What's with the sudden interest in my Jedi mind tricks?" He asked with a frown. "You haven't brought them up in the last, what... 15 years or so?"

"Just thinking we'll need all the tools available to us when we make our run at him. He's going to use his own against us, after all." Dean pointed out.

"I know." Sam said with a sigh. "It just scares me." He admitted. "I... I didn't want to turn out like I did. Even when I came back for the funeral, I wanted to just be me... but it took over and ate away at everything worth being."

"We got you a nice clean shiny soul, remember?" Dean said. "It'll be okay." Because he knew his brother. And because his brother wasn't running.

"Who's gonna die to give me the next one?" Sam asked and sighed. "You're right, okay. I know you are. And I'll... test the waters." Because he couldn't leave his brothers hanging if he could help it and those abilities might stand between them and life and death. Unfortunately it could also be the cause of their deaths later on.

"That's all. Just test the waters. If it feels off, stop." Dean said. "I just want to make sure we have all our bases covered." Not that he'd risk Sam's soul for it, he wouldn't do that. But he had a feeling it wouldn't be risking his soul anyway.

Sam nodded. "Anyway." He said getting to his feet. "I need to go pick up Rachel. We'll be back by in a couple of hours. It's good to have you home, man." The only thing scarier than the thought of losing his soul, was seeing his brother in the hospital again.

"Dude, it was your idea to put me in the hospital." Dean said with a chuckle as he drank his beer. It did feel good to be home.

Rachel's car was on the outs again. She knew she should get a new one, she could afford it. But she loved that car, she'd had it since college. It was her first adult car, and wasn't new when she got it either. Nor would it ever be a classic.

And it seemed the only one that could keep it on the road was Dean, so while he was in the hospital, she was carless again. Which is why she was waiting on the bench outside her work for Sam to come pick her up.

Sam pulled up alongside the bench. "Going my way?" He asked with a grin. Part of him kept expecting Rachel to fade into vapor, just another dream, another failure. The rest of him was terrified of hearing her screams of pain and fear, of seeing her burst into flames above his bed. But he loved her. He had tried to walk away from it early on, when it would have been easier, but she hadn't let him, and now he didn't think he could if he wanted to. She was tied into his life now, as surely as his sons and his brothers.

"Now what would your authority figures think of you picking up stray hitchhikers?" She said with a grin as she got into the car and giving him a kiss before putting on her seatbelt. "I'm sure your girlfriend would be mighty pissed at that!"

"I won't tell if you won't'." He said waggling his eyebrows playfully. "So up to having dinner at Dean's tonight?" He asked, figuring he would start things easy then build up to the hunter powwow and Kevin going on a ghost hunt.

"Of course." Rachel said. "Poor guy, I'm glad he's out of the hospital finally. But dinner at his place sounds good. At least there won't be Ben and Jack arguing over the grill again."

"No, Dean has firm control over his." Sam said with a laugh. "They will argue over what to put on the meat. Kansas andTexas have very different ideas on barbeque." He shook his head. "So... Dean is going back to the hospital to finish up with a ghost he found there. He wants to take Kevin with him."

"You sure he's ready?" Rachel asked. "I mean, I like Dean, I like him a lot. But isn't he kind of reckless? He did just get out of the hospital and all."

"It's pretty much handled already. He temporarily bound it in place while he was IN the hospital. It's just a bit of work now. And ... Dean is only reckless with himself. He would protect Kevin with his life, bet on it." Sam knew Dean better than anyone. Reckless really wasn't the word. Selfless was the word, although most wouldn't understand the distinction.

Rachel shook her head. "All right, if you think he's ready." Since Sam would be a better judge of that than her. She was looking atKevin asa sixteen year old boy, not a sixteen year old hunter. And sure, she understood that Sam and Dean were doing far more at his age, but still. He was a boy.

"Kevin wants this life, badly. I had hoped that he would change his mind after the last hunt... but he didn't. He started writing in his journal and asking more questions than ever. I have a feeling Simon is going to be the same way. I'll shelter them as long as I can but too much sheltering and they'll die young out there when they are old enough to do what they want anyway."

"I know." Rachel said with a sigh. "What about Tessa? I don't see Dean training her like you train Simon. He doesn't exactly encourage Mary to go out on hunts and all that."

"I don't know that we have as much to worry about with Tessa. She was too afraid of it all. Might want to avoid it entirely. But who knows? Dean will teach her to defend herself and her home, and to know what's what. Beyond that... I don't know. Will probably depend on what she is like when she is older."

"She'll do anything he wants." Rachel said with a chuckle. "She damn near worships him, you know." She thought it was cute, not to mention funny, that Sam's brother now had an eight year old fan.

Sam laughed. "Well at least one of his daughters will. Mary, however, is a very stubborn girl. She is going to do what Mary wants, when she can get away with it." Reminded him of him in some ways. Probably because they were raised by the same man really.

"Sounds like you." Rachel said with a smile. "Poor Dean, he's been raising some version of you nearly his entire life!" She said with a laugh. "I nearly feel for him."

Sam laughed. "I think with me, he was trying to protect my childhood as much as he could since he had lost so much of his own." He shrugged. "Probably the same with Mary. It's ironic that I am more like Dad in how I raise the kids. Well... less likely to leave them alone ever, but with the hunting and the training. "

Rachel nodded. She was a social worker, and she hated to say it, but the way their childhood had been, if Social Services had been on the ball, and if John Winchester had stayed in one place long enough, Sam and Dean would probably have been remanded to state custody at some point.

"Well, you've got enough family, and me, around now that leaving them alone doesn't have to be an option." She pointed out then laughed. "Though your poor father, if he knew the most reliable babysitter for his grandkids was a demon."

"He would laugh his ass off considering it's Ben... you see Ben helped him save us a couple times when we were kids from Jack's mom. Any other demon he would be beating our heads together cause obviously we weren't using them."

"I still don't get it." She said with a laugh. "There are times he scares me." She'd been with Sam long enough to see nearly all the sides to Ben. Sure, there were only a handful that had seen a truly raging mad Ben, and she wasn't one of them.

"He ... promised to take care of Jack... and somehow that had extended to us because what affects us affects Jack, or at least that's his excuse." Sam said with a smile. "Ben is far from harmless and there is no known way to destroy him, trust me... he has looked. But I trust him."

"Okay." Rachel said. There would always be that one small part of her mind that was utterly rational. And still trying to wrap itself around her life. "All the kids are going to grow up to be arsonists though."

"Nah, Just Abby. She wants fire batons." Sam said with a grin. "Mark and Benji will grow up and compete in some barbeque competition or something to vent their fire lust. "

Rachel had to laugh. "He spoils her." She said, about Abby. Though he spoiled all the kids to some degree. "Barbeque competition...isn't that a normal Farber-Hsiao-Winchester Sunday dinner?"

"Pretty much." Sam said as he pulled into their driveway. "And it's gonna be dinner tonight. Should probably stop off and pick up dessert on the way over." He got out and went around to open her car door, and smiled hearing the boys in the midst of abrotherly argument inside.

Kevin saw Sam pull in and opened the front door. "Dad!" He called out. "Tell Simon that when he borrows my video games he cannot then go and loan them to a friend at school!"

Rachel chuckled as she got out. "So much for peace and quiet."

"It was just for a little while. I was going over there to play and bring it back when he flipped out on me. It's a video game, not like it's a gun or something." Simon protested.

"It's Kevin's game, you shouldn't loan it out." Sam had to agree with the kid there. "But it's also not the crown jewels of England." He pointed out. "So Kevin, calm down, you have things to do tonight anyway, Simon go get the game, do not stay over there, we're having dinner at Dean's today and I want you there by 6. Don't do it again. Go."

Simon started walking down the block muttering to himself, about how they always took Kevin's side, and Sam laughed softly, remembering feeling that same way about Dean and their father. He was sure he was going to hear it from Kevin for letting the kid off so easy.

"Dad!" Kevin said as Simon left. "He completely got away with it! It's like you're teaching him mystuff is okay to mess with!"

"No, I'm not, but we gotta cut him some slack for a while, this is all new. He's pushing buttons right now. You did a lot of button pushing when you first came to live with us too." Sam pointed out.

Kevin shook his head. He didn't like his buttons pushed. "So what do I have planned tonight?" He asked Sam, since Sam seemed to know more about his plans than he did.

"A little ghost busting with your Uncle Dean tonight. He is going back to the hospital to deal with that ghost he found there." Sam said. "It'll be good experience for you. And after dinner we have a little planning session going on at Dean's place about ole yellow eyes."

"I get to be in on that?" Kevin asked. They were pretty strict on keeping the kids from that subject. So Kevin was a bit surprised at the 'we' part of the planning session. "Cool!"

"If you are going to be hunting actively now, then yeah, you get to be in on it. I don't want it blindsiding you." He also figured Mary should be in on it too, if for no other reason than information but he figured his brother would wig if he so much as suggested it.

"Way cool." Kevin said with a grin. "Okay, I'm so in." Sounded like an easy enough job (the hospital part anyway).

"Winchesters. You're all so ready to dash off for the heroics." Rachel teased gently.

"You wouldn't have us any other way." Sam said, even if he knew that wasn't exactly true. He didn't think he could be any other way. He knew his brother couldn't. It was what and who they were. Hunters.

Rachel laughed. "You don't come any other way." She corrected. "Come on, we have to pick up dessert. You riding with us, or driving yourself?" She asked Kevin.

"I'll drive myself." He said with a chuckle.

ITNOTFITNOTFITNOTFITNOTFITNOTFITNOTFITNOTFITNOTF

Mary sat down across from her father. "So... what's going on?" She asked, having noticed all the quiet talking amongst the men, having watched Bobby throw himself into his research with a vengeance since her father's hospitalization.

Dean looked at Mary. "Why does something have to be going on?" He asked instead. "You're paranoid, you know that? Wonder where you get that from."

"I'm pretty sure it's environmental not genetic." Mary said. "Although I'm not sure if it can actually be called paranoia when you guys seem to be gearing up for a major hunt... or at least that is where it looks like the research is going... research I'm not allowed to see or help with."

"Because I don't want you involved in it." Dean said. Knowing full well Mary could bea weapon used against him. "When it gets closer, I'll tell you what's going down before I ship you and Tessa off with Ben for protection."

Mary gave a growling sigh but knew there was no point in arguing with her father. He was one seriously stubborn man when he wanted to be and no amount of prying would change his mind. "You know, that's not reassuring."

"Mary, you know that my world is seriously dangerous." Dean said solemnly. "And I've tried my damnest to keep you clear from it. I'm not about to stop now."

"For the most part, I don't want to be part of all that. But Dad... sometimes it isn't possible to keep me clear of it. Like the mall... who would have thought ya know?... or whatever it is that has you and Bobby all tense."

"We're not tense." Dean said. "It's a long story. The demon that killed you grandparents, we've got a bead on how to destroy him once and for all. Which is a good thing."

"Yeah you were mentioning that before. Is it happening soon?" She asked. "Cause I don't know..?" She shook her head. She was picking up on something, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"It's happening as soon as we can get everything on our side together." Dean said. "Mary, what's up?" She had 'that' look on her face, the same one her mother used to get. He usually trusted that look.

"Don't know, Dad, I really don't. I just... have a bad feeling. I thought it was because of all the hush hush hunter crap going on around here lately but... I don't know." She said with a frown.

Dean sighed. It was hard having an insightful sixteen year old. He had no idea how she was going to take this. "This demon...killed your grandmother over Sam's crib. Killed his girlfriend. Killed your grandfather. Definitely put a few dents in me over the years. Tricked your uncle into nearly losing his soul. He won't stop until we're defeated or he's defeated. I'm not even sure it matters if Sam and I are alive or not. He just might keep coming after all things Winchester. And that's not allowed. I can't let that happen. Not when I have a chance to stop it."

Mary nodded. "So maybe all things Winchester need to band together... I don't want to go out and hunt... but maybe.. maybe this is one of those things we all need to be involved in."

"You'll be involved on how to help Ben keep everyone safe." Dean said. "Because the demon will not hesitate to use all you kids against us. Worst part is, this will probably go down before Kaylie delivers the latest one." He shook his head about that. "But he will use you against me, count on it. So I need you where he can't."

She nodded. "Okay. I will help Uncle Bobby with the research too." She was the oldest of her generation. Okay, by mere months, Kevin in a close second. She didn't take the duty of protecting the little ones lightly. Kevin thought of it as being treated like a kid, Mary saw it as a job, an important one too.

"Thank you." Dean said, relieved. He'd expected some sort of fight on that subject, just out of principle. He was glad it hadn't happened the way it had in his mind.

"No problem... secrets make me twitch, Dad... especially when there is so much going on." She said, going over to kiss her father on the cheek. "Glad you are home though. I really missed you."

"Missed you too. So how did the date go? No one would tell me much other than the boy survived." Dean said. Had he been out of the hospital, he would have tailed them.

Mary laughed and shrugged. "It went okay. We went to see the latest Bond film. It was pretty good. Could have done without the second girl in the film but that's just me. Girl couldn't act her way out of a wet paper back with a map and a compass. But anyway, after that we went to get something to eat, walked on the beach and I took him home. Uncle Bobby was waiting on the front porch when I got home so he can confirm I was home by curfew." She said with a grin.

"Good." Dean said. She was able to talk about the movie, and made it home. That was always good. "I'm glad you had a good time. We should pick up some meat for the grill. If we don't, Ben will. And he probably has some marinating in some deadly pepper sauce right now."

"I can go get some stuff. You need to take it easy still." She said as she got up from the table and went to get her purse. "Meat for a small army, and a few other things to go with it."

"Honey I'm fine." Dean said as he handed her some money. "Fine, I'll warm up the grill. Set Tessa on setting the tables out there." They all had a bunch of picnic tables. Because just one would not fit this clan of theirs.

"Okay. I won't be long." She told him and headed for the door, just as Kevin was coming in.

Tessa was on the floor in the living room, giggling wildly as she wrestled gently with both aging dogs, being licked at and lightly pinned with massive paws.

"So I hear we've got plans tonight." Kevin said as he came in and set down beer Sam had given him to bring.

"Yup." Dean said. "Bread and butter of the business. Might take all night, so feel free to nap now."

"Nah, I'm okay." Kevin said and Dean chuckled as he went into the living room.

"Well, you seem to have those two trained. Hey Bobby, did you know Rumsfeld was trainable?"

Bobby chuckled. "Had suspicions, are you sure they aren't training her over there... or at least giving her a bath?" He suggested, coming to sit down in the living room. "So you get to go on your first ghost hunt tonight. You ready for it?" He asked Kevin.

"Already went on a demon hunt." Kevin pointed out. "Came out of it a lot more intact that Uncle Dean."

"There's a reason for that. If you were watching, you'd know it." Dean said with a chuckle as he settled down by Tessa and the dogs.

"The fact that you threw yourself in front of every blow that you could?" Bobby asked, shaking his head. "Some things never change."

"Hey, gotta provide stability in the life, right?" Dean said with a grin. "I'm fine. But Kevin, one day there's not gonna be a me to take the blows. Just remember that."

"I'll remember." He said, and looked up as Sam and Rachel arrived, with Simon in tow. Sam had spoken with Simon about being more mindful of Kevin's boundaries and stuff, so the kid was a little sullen as he came in behind his new parents.

"Hey." Dean said to his brother. "Mary's out getting the food and stuff. Not trusting Jack and Ben, who knows what they'd put on the meat just to get at me." He said with a chuckle. "What did you guys pick up for dessert?"

"Peach pie and cherry cheese cake." Sam said as he took the bags to the kitchen then came and sat down on the sofa. "So, you stilllooking forward to this job tonight?" He asked his eldest son.

"Heck yeah!" Kevin said, with unbridled enthusiasm. "It'll be fun."

Dean laughed. "Now he would have earned the extra cookie from Dad."

Sam laughed as well. "Yeah he would. Dad would love the next generation of Winchesters. I think he would have made a better grandfather than father." A lot less pressure, a lot less responsibility on top of his driving obsession with killing the demon.

Dean shrugged. "Maybe. Or maybe we would have seen as much of him as we did growing up. Or maybe he would have moved in. Hard to tell now." Dean said.

"Can never tell." Bobby said. "But I think he would have made a good grandfather. Even if he would have been the one with the scariest bedtime stories."

"With these kids... they would have loved it. Not sure about Jack's brood. They seem a little ... soft... compared to the rest." Sam said. "You know... like they came from a normal family or something."

Dean laughed. "Imagine that. I don't know, their favorite babysitter is Ben. How soft can they be?" Time hadn't softened any of the demon's edges.

"Ben doesn't tell them stories about killing monsters, and let them watch horror movies as object lessons."Sam pointed out.

"Now why would I tell stories like that?" Ben said, flaring into the room with Abby. That was her preferred way to travel whenever she could. "When I tell stories like that, the monster is usually the persecuted hero."

"Ah... autobiographical bed time stories, huh?" Sam said. "How ya doing Ben?" He asked and winked at Abby.

"I'm leaving out the good parts until they're older." Ben said as he put Abby down. She greeted her uncles and joined her new cousin on the floor with the dogs. The two blonde children were about the same age, even if their experiences with demons was far different. "You know, in case they buy the family line on demon hunting and all." Ben knew he was a great big reason why Jack wasn't a diehard hunter like his brothers.

"The family line about demon hunting is: they're a danger, they go down. If they don't bother people and just wanna live their lives like everyone else on the planet... they aren't a problem. We're really pretty liberal about it these days. " Sam said, but knew that hadn't always been the case. "Dad's spinning in his grave, butit's different for us now."

"Your father was known to take advantage of working with a demon once or twice." Ben said. "But we all know the real reason the philosophy changed."

"And what's that?" Dean said with a chuckle.

"Because I own a strip club and get you kids in without paying the cover."

Sam laughed. "Yeah it has nothing to do with saving us twice as kids, raising our brother, and enduring hell to get my soul back. It's all about the strippers."

"Of course it is." Ben said. "And I did not endure hell to get your soul back. They did. I just got caught in there because I couldn't resist another round of knocking the shit out of you. You were awful self righteous and arrogant then, you know."

"And you're not?" Kevin asked with a grin.

"Oh, totally. But when you get to be my age, or even Bobby's, you get to be." Ben said. "Sam's a baby in the scheme of things."

"Personally, I think it goes with the whole being a demon thing, and I was so close that I was fading in and out. Trust me, it had nothing to do with wanting to knock the shit out of me, it had to do with keeping me from knocking the shit out of your uncle Jack."

"Okay, guess Bobby's part demon then." Ben said as Jack and Kaylie arrived with the rest of their brood. "This is why Abby prefers that I 'drive'. She gets there faster." He said with a chuckle.

"You're lucky no one's figured out how to smite you out." Bobby said to Ben. "Or just for that comment, I would."

"Promises." Ben said with a chuckle.

"Oh come on... you know you don't really want to ahm... leave...anymore." Jack said not wanting to say 'die' in front of the kids who would suddenly worry about Ben dying as only small children can.

"I have a lot of promises to keep these days." Ben said. Which was about as verbal as he got on that subject. At the end of the day, Ben was still, well, Ben. "Come on, Benji, let's find the cookies." As much a doting 'grandfather' as a jaded half demon who couldn't die could be.

Sam smiled and watched Ben leave for the kitchen with Benji. He also watched as Simon watched Ben. He worried about his newest son. This couldn't be an easy adjustment, but it was one Simon had been willing to make. They hadn't hidden what Ben was. They wanted the kids to know because Ben was a part of their lives

Tessa climbed over in Dean's lap, leaving the now exhausted old dogs to rest.

Dean shifted for Tessa as he watched the demon and his namesake. "Yup, that's one house broken demon I think."

"Yeah, too bad the same can't be said for the hunters in the house." Jack teased, taking a seat on the sofa as well.

"Oh, we've been working on it for years." Kaylie said with a laugh as she sat down next to Jack on the sofa. "With varying degrees of success. Think we're up to taking the garbage out now."

"I'm being mocked in my own home." Dean said jokingly, shaking his head.

"Why should we treat you any differently here than we do anywhere else?" Jack asked, and Simon almost laughed.

Sam watched his son and began to wonder if he had been too hard on the kid earlier.

Dean glanced at Simon and saw something completely else. A kid set on edge, just waiting for the right target to take it out on. He'd once been that angry, he could sympathize. "Yeah, well, thought I'd get a break, you know, getting out of the hospital and all. Not only that, I even waited for the doctors to discharge me."

"For which we are very proud." Sam said. "First time ever actually. This should be a celebration." He teased.

"It's like Mark washing the dishes without being told 5 times." Jack said.

"Hey!" Mark protested. "I'm not that bad."

"You're right sweetheart." Kaylie said. "Normally we just ask you four times." She said, smoothing down his dark blonde hair.

"Mom!" Mark said, shoving his mother's hand away. Embarrassed to have been caught like that in front of Kevin (an older kid).

"Come on, grill's warming up, what do you say we go set everything up and throw the meat on when Mary gets back with it?" Dean suggested witha laugh.

"Come on boys." Sam said. "Let's go get the tables set up."

His two and Mark followed him out the door to the back yard to start moving the tables and setting them up.

Ben and Benji found the cookies Dean had stashed in the kitchen. Cookies he kept stashed so Benji could search for them each time he came over. Ben sat the boy on the counter and watched the kids outside as they set up. "That one's gonna be trouble." He said under his breath. And the child on the counter looked up at him quizzically. Ben ruffled his dark hair. "Nothing. Just talking to myself."

Mary returned half an hour later with a large grocery bag full of ribs and hot dogs for the children. "Hey Dad, the grill ready?"

"The grill is ready." Dean assured her as he took the bag and started throwing the meat on the hot grill. Ben had sent Benji outside to play with the kids, and he hung out on the deck, smoking and watching. Not feeling too social, but he got in those moods once in a while.

Simon stuck close to Tessa, glad that the Demon stayed away from them. He didn't like him. He loved Sam and Dean was alright but that Demon was dangerous. They were all dangerous. It was just a matter of time before he turned on them. His real dad had taught him that, and the way his parents had died had just proved it to be true.

Dinner was uneventful, buoyed by Dean's great mood.

"I'm gonna go." Ben said with a quick grin. "Pick me up some real spicy food on the way home. See you kids later."

"All right Ben." Dean said. He was used to the demon's mood swings. He'd be a social butterfly one moment, then an antisocial recluse the next.

Jack worried though. There was something bothering Ben. He knew his foster father better than anyone there. Something was up. He'd ask him about it later. Maybe if he were lucky the demon would tell him.

Once the kids were off playing video games inside, Bobby came out with a box of research. "Guess it's time to get to business then."

"Business?" Kaylie asked. She hated when hunters looked at each other and said business. No wonder Ben left, he might have known this was coming.

"Business." Dean said, nodding. "Yellow eyed bastard is on the move again. Starting all sorts of trouble. Means we have to up our game plan."

Jack swore and leaned back in his chair. "Okay.. what exactly is going on?"

"An escalation in possessions. I mean, this year Sam alone has done 30 exorcisms. Hard core old fashioned exorcisms. Jo says that she hears people in the road house talking about exorcisms all the time. When you boys were kids, we'd hear of maybe a hand full of possessions. When the demon started trying get all the kids like Sam motivated, it went up to 30 or thirty in a year... now for one exorcist to do 30 within easy driving distance... it's getting out of hand. More and more demons are crawling out of hell. They're gathering for a purpose and it's all pointing to ole yellow eyes."

"I've been doing more hunting myself." Dean said. "I don't know, it's a cycle. Things calm down, like for the last sixteen, eighteen years..." his voice trailed off. "Dammit. Another generation is about to come of age. He might try to start younger, get them more malleable and all that."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Sam said. "Remember, right before Dad died, we found that one child that the demon was trying to get at... that would make them 18 this year... " He swore. "Should have kept tracking things..."

"I did." Dean said as he pulled a thick file out of the box. "Nursery fires with parent deaths, and nursery fires. That's the best I could do. Started tracking some of the poltergeist issues that would come up across the country, or adolescents admitted to psych wards for various versions of schizophrenia. Teenage arsonists...it's a thick file. But I've managed to slim it down some. Okay, actually Mary helped too. Girl has a gift for research."

"Can't say I was surprised." Bobby said as he reached for the file. "This might help us a bit,. I think we need to keep watch for any sort of gathering that would attract teenagers. Anything that could be an excuse to get them all in one place."

"Rave? Concert?" Dean said. "Race? Could be anything, man." He sighed. "Looks like we're going to be doing a lot of driving. Thank god the girls get off school soon."

"Yeah I know." Sam said with a sigh. "If he had hit me at 18 he would have won... I was rebelling against it all so hard at that point." He ran a hand through his hair. "Okay... so... it could also be that he won't choose a public forum at all. Could just have them all meet him in the middle of a ghost town, or take them on one at a time. He could do anything at this point."

"Which means we have nothing to go on." Dean said, shaking his head. "Okay, back to square one. What does he want? He wants an army of some sort. Why? Probably to take over or destroy the world. Open up hell. Guess we start looking for gates."

"Would make sense since things slowed down after Dean closed that gate in Kansas." Bobby said. "We look for gates and work out the details of that exorcism... see if we can't take the son of a bitch down before he gets his plans into motion again."

"Okay, but I have first dibs over any female run away gypsies we trip over." Dean joked and Kaylie shook her head.

"You guys make it sound so incredibly easy." She said. "But let meguess, the minute you're alone you're going to start getting your affairs in order, right? Just in case."

"Kaylie." Rachel said, sympathetically. She understood the blonde was pregnant, scared and overly hormonal. And had three other kids to worry about besides. "This is what we got ourselves into."

"No, it's what you got yourself into." Kaylie said. "I've known my husband since he was eight. And unlike those two, he wasn't doing this when he was eight. He was playing little league."

"Honey...I'm going to be fine." Jack said. "No it's not easy, and yes there is a chance I could be hurt or worse, but this is big... if we do nothing, it won't matter. We'll be facing down Armageddon. Everyone will be facing down Armageddon and there is no way that will end well for anyone. Not even with Ben on our side."

"This isn't easy." Dean said. "On any of us. Right now, where we are in our lives, the last thing we want to do is go close down a gate. And face that son of a bitch. But Jack's right. We either do it now, when we've got a bit of an advantage, or we wait for him and his army to come for us. And they will. Just because we've spent the last forty odd years pissing him off."

"We're going to do all we can to make sure our family is safe. Even if it means doing things I don't want to... I will make sure he comes home." Even if he had to give in to the darkness again and drag him through the shadows. Dean wasn't the only big brother any more. Even if Jack and Sam had a more normal brotherly relationship rather than the symbiotic one Dean and Sam shared.

"Everyone's coming back from this." Dean said. "Because we're going to plan. And plan again. Have back up plans for the back up plans. I'm not keen on dying, neither is anyone else here. But Sam's got a point. Whatever it takes, right? So, Jack, on your side of it..."

He groaned. "Yeah an out of control mage is exactly what you need to depend on." He said with a sigh. "Fine... fine... I will try but you can't depend on me that way."

"Look, I'm taking whatever advantage I can get my hands on." Dean said. "Besides, you're working on it with Benji, right? So just gives you added incentive."

Jack nodded. "Yeah I know, but the timeline keeps shortening and that scares me. I'll do what I can but I couldn't do a whole lot with this when I was younger."

"You'll do fine." Dean said confidently. "And it only feels shorter because we have a deadline now. And a finish line. Sam and me, we've been working on this his entire life."

"I'm ready for it to be done." Sam said. He had a life that he wanted to keep now. He just hoped that he could, but it would be worth it just to be able to sleep at night. Not to have to worry about when the son of a bitch was going to show up and try and take Rachel too.

"We all are." Dean said. "He hung over our father's head. He's hanging over our heads...not going to let that son of a bitch hang over our kids' heads too. Isn't fair. I've done my best to protect Mary from all of this as much as I could afford to. Don't want to leave her with a war to finish."

Sam nodded. "We won't leave it for them to finish. If we don't finish it... it's lost. Either way, this war is over soon." As much as he hated having that much pressure, it was the truth. If they failed, the world as they knew it was going to come crashing down around humanity's ears.

"Oh. Okay. No pressure." Dean said with a scowl. "And here I thought we'd just have a nice brotherly bonding trip or something. Way to ruin the moment, Sam."

"It's my job, what with Dad gone and all. You were the one that pointed out I was just like him after all." Sam said with a grin, trying to lighten the mood though. "Although that one sounds freaking just like him." He pointed out.

"You do." Bobby said to Jack. "Sometimes I do a double take, wondering if John had decided to pay me a visit or something. It's actually pretty freaky."

Dean laughed. "It's really freaky. But I'm over it." Though that time he was delirious with fever, and Jack was with him, it was because he sounded like their father that he started 'talking' to his father.

Jack laughed. "Well, at least I get something from the man, other than you two trouble makers. If Kaylie were less than perfect, you two would have ruined my marriage years ago with all this ... stuff."

Dean chuckled and shook his head. "Oh, that's rich. WE would have ruined your marriage when the man who for all intents and purposes is her father in law is not only a demon, but he owns a strip club. And likes for you to help audition strippers. And WE'RE the ones that would have ruined your marriage." He said, still chuckling.

"He's kissing up right now." Kaylie said with a grin. She was unusually hormonal, she'd never been this bad in her previous pregnancies, but this morning she'd thrown a serious fit including tears and screaming over the toilet seat in the bathroom off their bedroom being left up. "He's afraid I'm plotting to neuter him in his sleep or something."

"Neuter... see there's that word again..." Jack said. "The word that makes me want to go off and face hungry demons and angry ghosts because they aren't as scary as the V word by any other name."

Kaylie smacked his shoulder. "You've witnessed childbirth. You've never gone through it. Do that once, just once, and then we'll revisit your definition of pain and discomfort."

Dean shook his head with a chuckle, but refrained from pointing out that at least Kaylie had made it through three childbirths to be able to bitch about it later. "So, Mary and I will get into research mode, teach Kevin the hardcore ropes of that. Jack, I know Ben is uncomfortable with the whole volunteering information and all, and I get that, but maybe see what slips out."

"It's not the pain and discomfort that's the issue." Jack told his wife, and it wasn't. He had been hurt plenty. It was the idea of it. He looked to Dean. "I think he will volunteer the information when he hears it... if he thinks we need it."

"All right." Dean said. He could live with that. Kinda had to, right? "But I think we're going to need him for this."

"He isn't going to go toe to toe with something that doesn't attack him first. Don't know if you realize it, but if he crosses that line too far... we could wind up with a whole other problem going on... since they can't kill him... they would come after all of us... so ya gotta be patient and let him do what he can."

"Hold on." Dean said. "I wasn't suggesting he join us on the front. I know he won't do that, this isn't his fight. I was thinking more that he could be defense. You know, in case the son of a bitch decides to go after our families while we're going after him."

"I'm pretty sure that he won't have a problem with. After all, if someone shows up on his door step, then that's on them, not him." Jack said. Not only that but Ben would take all comers that came after the kids no matter what they were.

"That's what I wasthinking." Dean said with a nod. He'd feel safer knowing his kids were protected by a fire throwing demon with a temper problem when pushed while they were out on this latest job.

"Don't worry... the kids will all be safe. I don't think anything short of Lucifer himself could even dent Ben." Jack said with no small amount of pride in his foster father.

"Kaylie stays near them too." Dean said, chuckling a bit at Jack's pride. He'd felt that way about their father. Until finally something did take him down. Difference was, John had been human. Ben, not so much.

"Kaylie and Rachel both." Jack and Sam said in unison then looked at each other and scowled.

"Think I heard an echo." Dean said with a laugh.

"When did we become damsels in distress?" Rachel asked Kaylie.

"When we fell in love with men with Winchester blood." Kaylie said with a smile. Normally, she might have argued it just on principle, without really meaning the argument, but she was pregnant, and right now, she and kid number 4 were a package deal. So she just considered it as co operating with the protection of their children.

Sam laughed. "Okay... time for us to get the boys home. Homework calls since they were too busy fighting to get it done after school."

"I'll be coming for Kevin in an hour." Dean said. "So have him ready by then, cool?" Not that the hunt would supersede homework. That was what 'ready' meant. That his homework and chores were done, or no hunt.

"You hear that Kev? No homework and chores done... no hunting with Uncle Dean tonight." Sam said to his son as they got their stuff ready to go.

"Yeah, I heard." Kevin said. He knew the deal. Gave him incentive to do the horrible things like homework and taking the garbage out anyway.

"And tomorrow I'll take Mark out." Dean said to Jack, referring to skeet shooting. The goal wasn't to make him a crack shot, just so he wouldn't shoot himself in the foot.

"Sounds good. In the mean time, Sam has the right idea. Gotta get the kids home, then my wife can tear me a new one in private for joining this little adventure."

"Would I do that?" Kaylie asked sweetly as Dean laughed. "Come on, let's gather the brood up."

"See you in an hour, Kevin." Dean reminded him.

With the others gone, Mary came and took a seat beside her father, just resting her head on his shoulder. They always made light of these things, treated it like most men would treat planning for a camping trip. But she knew it was a lot more serious than that, and that they knew it was more serious even if they didn't show it.

Dean slipped his arm around his daughter's shoulders. "It's going to be all right, Mary." He assured her. "We're ready for this."

"No, you're not. You just don't have a choice." She stated softly, letting her dad hold her. She didn't tend to worry when he went hunting, because it was like having a cop for a dad in a way. He went out and chased down the bad guys. He was good at it, and came home every time. Sometimes a little dinged up, sometimes (like this last time) a lot dinged up. But this was different. This was a fallen angel they were talking about. Just the thought of something that has existed since time began wanting to kill her father was enough to make the blood run cold in her veins.

"We are ready. Or we will be in any case." Dean said with a sigh. "It's scary, I know. Believe me, I know. But we don't have a choice. You got my eyes and my mouth. You're not getting my war."

"As much as I don't want to get your war... I don't want to lose you either." She said simply. "And I know you... you are going to throw yourself in front of this thing and try and draw its attention while Uncle Sam does whatever it is he does."

"We're all going to be doing something." Dean said. "I don't plan on dying. And it does take a lot to even get close to killing me, if I do say so. But I don't want you to worry about that, not now. Because nothing's happening right now. You can worry about it later."

She laughed softly. "I don't want to worry about it later... I want to deal with it later. Worrying... gets in the way and there will be lots for me to do while you are off saving the world from creatures older than time."

"Yeah, there will be plenty to do." Dean said. "So we can worry later, when you're nagging me over whatever bruise I've managed to earn on the way. You get to baby sit the kids, a pregnant woman, worried social worker and a demon who will definitely be in a foul mood. Definitely busy."

"You keep talking like that and I'm going to stow away in the trunk of the Impala and go with you... it would be safer." She teased, even if she didn't feel like it.

Dean laughed. "Yeah, it probably would be." He teasingly agreed and kissed the top of her curly head. "But that's where I need you and Kevin. It's okay to be scared, and worried, and probably a little mad that we're doing this at all."

"I'm not mad." She said. "Don't really see myself getting mad till I see how hurt you wind up." Mary admitted. "Then I am gonna be pissed."

Dean laughed at that. "That which does not kill us makes us stronger, right?" Dean said with a smirk. "Guess that means Winchesters have to be the strongest guys in the world." God knows between all of them, they should have been dead a long time ago.

"Yeah well, while you are on a quest to be Superman, one of these days... something is going to kill you... so ... don't try and be too strong. I kinda like having you around and all."

"Yeah, you say that now. Wait till the next time I ground you." He teased with a chuckle. "Well, let me go gather up Kevin and get this over with. This one is simple, it's already bound. I just have to make it permanent. Besides, I bet the nurses miss me."

"You wish." Mary said. "Most of them were so glad to be rid of you, it wasn't even funny." She shook her head laughing a little.

"Hey, I kept them awake, and now they appreciate the patients that are still there just a little more. See? I'm quite the humanitarian." He said with a grin as they got up. "Besides, these are the night nurses, the ones that liked me."

"Ooh is that it? You are going to go there and hit on nurses, and deal with a ghost... then go hit on nurses again. No wonder you don't want me to date." She said with a laugh.

"Me? Hit on women? You obviously have me confused with one of your uncles." Dean said. "It's all about work for me, remember? Okay, yeah, maybe a little. Jury's still out if it's 'hit on them again,' gotta see how the first run goes."

"Dad... aren't you a bit too old to be a player?" She asked. "I mean... you're a dad for crying out loud.. what's more...you're my dad... I mean .. ew." She said with a grin, knowing how her friends freak at the thought of her parents having ever gotten it on. She found it pretty hilarious herself. It wasn't something she liked to think about because ... well... ew... but it wasn't something she freaked about. Hello... she was born therefore there had to have been some form of getting it on going on.

"Only when the women stop playing." He said with a chuckle. "I got a chaperone this time, remember? Kevin?" Not that he'd be much of a chaperone, not that Dean needed one, but anyway. They made their circuit of the house together. Most people checked locks. They checked the locks too, but they also checked their protective lines first.

"Okay, Dad. I will keep an eye on the rug rat and see you when you get home." She told him and kissed him on the cheek. "Love you." She said and started back toward the living room.

"Love you." He called out before he headed over to Sam's, knocking and heading in. "Hey. Boy scout ready?" He asked Sam.

"Yeah, he is just finishing up." Sam said looking at the two boys at the dining room table. He led his brother aside. "Did Simon seem a bit off to you tonight?" He asked softly.

"Yeah, he did." Dean said with a frown. "Might have just been the whole big family gathering." Dean said. They hadn't had them while Dean was in the hospital. At least not the whole extended clan.

"Yeah... probably... probably just missing his other family. Can't say I blame him." Something was off, and he would speak with Rachel about it after the kids were in bed. It was hard to find counseling for children like Simon. But he could go through church channels and see what he could find.

"Ben might have given him the creeps. He's not exactly warm and cuddly to strangers, and he is a demon." Dean said with a shrug. "Guess he'll have to deal with that, unfortunately." Easiest way to offend Jack was to exclude Ben from anything.

"Yeah, I know. Tessa seemed to deal with it all so easily, and Simon is so quiet, I probably missed the signs. Well.. I'll have a talk with him. While Kevin is gone is a good time."

"Yeah good luck with that." Dean said with a chuckle as Kevin came out. "Ready?"

"Oh yeah." Kevin said with a grin. "If I'm out late, Dad, it's all his fault." He said, jerking his thumb at Dean.

"Yeah well... while you two are out late... just remember that you still have to go to school in the morning." Sam pointed out.

Dean laughed. "And not even death will get you off for a day. We know how to bring people back, you know. And we'd do it just so we could send you to school." Dean said with a wink as he tossed a bag to Kevin. "Come on, we gotta pick up coffee for the nurses. Give us a reason to be there."

"Great, ressurrected for a geometry test." He grumbled playfully. "How about hospitalization, after all... can't go to school from a hospital bed." Kevin said with a grin, heading out the door.

"No, but the test can come to you." Dean said as they got in the car. They stopped to get the coffee and bagels and headed up to the floor. Dean had been in the hospital long enough to know when security went on its breaks. "So, did you miss me?" He asked with a grin as they reached the nurses' station of what had been nearly his home away from home for a while.

Caitlin walked over to him, and smiled. "Miss you? We just got rid of you." She teased. "How ya' feelin?" She asked, hoping he wasn't back because of some problem with his injury, although she suspected she knew what he was here for. She was surprised that he had brought his nephew, though.

"I feel great." Dean said with a smile. "Despite everyone's efforts to convince me that I was some hopeless invalid, gotta say, I feel pretty good." He said as he set the coffee down. "Brought some gifts. Some family has nicely and oh so politely pointed out that I might have been a little tiny bit of a pain in the ass during my vacation."

"A tiny bit?" Another nurse asked. "You know, day shift almost threw a party when you went home." She was teasing... mostly.

"Yeah... " Caitlin said with a grin. "Night shift was just disappointed you didn't try and make another break for it. The restraints had your name on them."

"You've got some obession with tying me up, you know that?" Dean said with a laugh. "That kind of talk around my poor nephew. Poor kid's gonna have nightmares tonight."

Kevin rolled his eyes. "He forgets I was here. I am thinking you guys had more nightmares than I will."

Caitlin laughed. "I wouldn't call it an obsession."

Dean laughed harder. "I am so onto you now." He said. "See, Kevin, told you they thought I was cute."

One of the other nurses laughed as she took her coffee. "Well, we're certainly not going to say anything different until all the caffeine is gone."

Caitlin would have been more flattered if she hadn't know why he was actually here, or suspected at least, but she smiled anyway, it was fun.

Kevin again rolled his eyes in true teenager fashion. "If there was ever proof that I am adopted, this is it."

Dean chuckled. "All right,all right." He said. Though it was fun. "Gonna leave you girls alone now, with your coffee and all the new people to tie up and torture." He said. Had a spirit to bind any way.

"Have a good night." Caitlin said. "Be careful out there... don't want to see you in one of my beds again." She said, and quickly turned red, knowing how that had come out.

"Oh, beds? I get a choice? I'll keep that one in mind." He said with a wink. "Come on, Kevin. We got some errands to run."

It was Caitlin's turn to roll her eyes at that one.

"Thank god... this was getting embarassing." Kevin said as he turned to go. He couldn't believe it. His uncle had women eating out of his hand that had been threatening to finish the job the demons had started not a week earlier. It was unnatural, he was sure. His dad had his weird gifts that he never spoke of; Dean was unnaturally good with women.

"Relax." Dean said as they headed down the stairs. Less chance of being seen or followed. "Sam was awkward with women until college I think." He said with a laugh. "Jack...I don't think he's dated anyone but Kaylie. Ever."

"Yeah that's what Dad says." Kevin said. "Then there is my english teacher who has never had a date in his life. At least not with anything that doesn't blow up or come with batteries."

"And it's disturbing that you know that." Dean said as they reached the basement. His salt circle was still intact. "Okay, we're going to have to brush the salt away, so which do you want? Brusher or shooter in case we've pissed him off?"

"I'll shoot, you dust. You know what to do next and I don't. " He didn't want to have to do try and understand instrucitons over a lot of shooting should the thing rear its ghosty head.

"All right." Dean said. "Just remember, watch out for the ghost but you gotta watch me too." Dean said. This was supposed to be a master class of sorts after all. Couldn't teach him if he didn't watch, right? He squatted down by the circle and started to brust it away, following it with paint. He explained the symbol as he painted, while there was still silence.

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Sam ran his hand over his face. He didn't want to do this. Didn't want to start using those abilities again. Things that could lure him once more into darkness, that would make him a danger to his family when they needed him most. But he was going to anyway. Dean was right. They needed every edge they could get.

He stared at the light switch, figuring he would take it small first and work his way up to something larger. The light switched on, then off easily enough, although he could feel the strain of using something that had been dormant for almost 20 years.

Ben called, and when Sam answered, he said "Break the salt line." And hung up. Because Dean and Sam were diligent on their lines. Meant Ben could usually only come over if there was a small break somewhere. Ally or not, the basic rules applied to him.

The kids continually made light of his poker games, but they were often good sources of information. Like now. Which was why he was headed over. He and Sam weren't completely one hundred percent comfortable with each other, but Dean was out, Jack wasn't answering, so Sam would do. It affected all three of them after all.

Sam went to the window sill and broke the salt line and went to get two beers out of the refrigerator. Ben would only be coming over if there were important news. It wasn't that he didn't like Ben... he was just..uncomfortable with the knowledge that if Ben went evil there would be no stopping him.

Ben flared into the living room while Sam was in the kitchen. Simon had been coming down fora drink when he saw the fire in the living room. And he knew.

This was what happened when you played nice with a demon, they crept into your house while you were sleeping to kill you. Simon knew, the demon had come for his parents in the dark of night, while they were sleeping peacefully. He remembered the smell of blood as his parents were ripped apart, and he went to get one of Sam's guns. He had watched while they were unpacking, he knew where Sam stashed them. He wouldn't let his new family be torn apart again by a demon. He couldn't let it happen as he came up behind Ben and pulled the trigger.

It wasn't rock salt that hit Ben. And though he wouldn't die from it, it hurt like, well, hell. He wheeled around and saw Simon, the temperature of the room rising exponentially. And before Simon could fully lower the gun, Ben was across the room, throwing the child up against the wall by his neck as he grabbed the gun.

"You should do your research before you shoot something in the back." Ben growled, his skin taking on an off reddish tone as his eyes glowed a dark, eerie green.

"What the hell?" Sam demanded of both of them as he entered the room. He knew the gun fire had to have come from Simon but that was his son pinned against the wall, and nothing Sam had could do anything more than piss off the demon. "Let him down, Ben. Let's sort this out before things get anymore violent than they already have."

"Sort this out?" Ben snapped. "He shot me. In the back. And you know what, it hurts."

"He's a demon." Simon said, and Ben tightened his grip on his neck. Not enough to seriously hurt him, but enough to get his point across.

"Shut your mouth." He growled at the boy. "Yes, I'm a fucking demon. And this is just the next in the long line of pain that so called civilized and pure humans have caused me." It had been so long since he'd been attacked so outright that long hidden rage was boiling toward the surface.

"Ben... he's just a kid...a traumatized kid... let him down, and we'll take care of it. I'm sorry he hurt you...we'll get whatever rounds he used out of you... but you need to let my son go."

"Do not touch me." Ben said in a steely voice as Sam took a placating step. "Some of the worst monsters I've ever encountered have been human. And should have been put down in their sleep. Traumatized kid, huh? So that excuses it. I was a traumatized kid, don't see him giving me a free pass, and I haven't even shot anyone. In the fucking back like a coward." He put Simon down and handed him the gun, and took a step back, arms out. "Come on, hot shot. You're so big and bad, come on. Shoot me. Come on, shoot me." He taunted Simon. "What? Can't do it while you have to look at me? Come on, shoot me!"

"No, it doesn't give him a free pass. I'm not going to give him a free pass on this, but this isn't helping. It isn't going to fix the problem, Ben. My god, he saw his parents torn limb from limb... cut him a little slack. How long did it take you to be able to be in the same room with a hunter with out wanting to shred us all...?"

Ben gave him a dark look. It wasn't just hunters. It was priests, mobs of townfolk who thought it would be a smart idea to fight someone like him with fire, several witch covens, it wasn't just hunters.

"One day, he's going to attack a demon he can't kill, one who won't stop." He said to Sam. He was in serious pain. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been shot with bullets like that. Bullets that were still in his back. "And you need to watch on how far I'm pushed before I push back. Because if I decide to push back, you can't stop me, and you know that. This is already heavily intruding on my already strained good humor."

"I... I am sorry that you are hurt. I will help you get the rounds out of your back... I'm going to deal with the situation. I know it's a lot to ask... it's an impossible thing to ask, but please... be patient. He's a traumatized kid.""He's gonna attack Rachel!" Simon yelled, unable to believe his new father was standing here siding with a demon. "I saw it... My head was about to explode and I saw it... he attacks her... He tries to kill her!"

Ben scoffed. "You sure you didn't see what you wanted to see?" Ben said, giving Sam a look. Great, another person with visions. "Tell you what, go meditate on that one kid. Then ask yourself if I was so yearning to kill a human, why your father is standing here right now? Because if there was ever a human I so wanted to kill at any point of time, it would be him."

Sam raised an eyebrow at that one. "Look... Simon, Ben wouldn't ever attack Rachel. She would have to come after him first and actually make a dent in him. He isn't that kind of a person. You have to trust me, Simon... I know what I'm talking about.""No... you don't understand... I saw my parents die... I saw it happen before it happened and it happened. He's going to attack Rachel... why won't you believe me?""Visions aren't always exact... maybe it was a nightmare... I have had a lot of nightmares that felt the-""You're taking his side!" Simon yelled. "He's a demon!"

"That's right." Ben said. Though Jack had always emphasized his more human attributes. Right now, he didn't feel very human. "I'm a demon. And you know what I'm going to do now? I'm going to walk away instead of burning you to ash as I should. Or breaking your neck with one hand, just a quick flick of the wrist. But I'm not going to, even though you deserve it. Because you know what? Sometimes the worst monsters aren't demons. They're human. You decide which way you want to go." He looked at Sam as he passed. "This happens again, I'm not going to stop."

Sam didn't say anything. What could he say in that moment that wouldn't sound like he was condoning either side? He could understand both sides perfectly. Even though Ben was the victim.He waited for Ben to leave then looked at his son. "Go put the gun back where you found it and come back in here. Now." He said firmly.

Simon gave hima surprised, shocked look. But put the gun back. And fixed the salt line so that demon couldn't get back in. Then he went to stand in front of Sam. "I didn't do anything wrong." He said stubbornly. "I know what I saw."

"You should have told me about the vision." Sam said. "WE could have dealt with it as a family. " He led the boy to the sofa. "And yes, you did do something wrong. I haven't given you permission to shoot targets yet, much less shoot someone I invited into our home. You aren't old enough to make decisions on who needs killing." Sam was furious but he knew it wouldn't do any good to yell. He had recieved far too many tongue lashings as a boy to think it would have a good effect. "Visions aren't always clear. Sometime they are metaphors, sometimes they are clouded by perceptions. They are just snap shots, or short films...we don't see all the details. You can't just assume like that."

"I know what I saw! And he's not a person, he's a demon! He's just waiting to kill us all, or make us wish we were dead, because that's what demons do. Jack," Simon couldn't call him 'uncle,' who knew how brainwashed he was by the demon after all, "might be in on it. Or maybe not. But you're letting your guard down. And he's going to make us all pay for that. I watched my father die. Don't make me watch you die at a demon's hand."

"I can't promise that I won't die from a demonic attack. I'm a hunter. It's almost inevitable... but it won't be at Ben's hands. He has saved our lives more times than I can count. Yes, he is a demon but he is a person too. His mother was a human being. I believe that he has a soul. And that soul is what is important. It's what keeps all of us from crossing over into darkness."

Simon shivered a little, the temperature in the room had returned to normal quickly after Ben left. And he had made the room hot enough for Simon to break out in a sweat. Along with the cold sweat from fear at the time.

"You can't kill him, can you?" Simon said, going for a different track. "That's why we play nice."

"I'm not playing nice, Simon. Ben has helped us more times than I can count. He put himself through all manner of torture so that I could get my soul back. He didn't ask anything in return, either. " He added, figuring that would be the boy's next tactic. "I know this is rough... it's hard to accept that Ben isn't one of the bad guys and I made a mistake tossing you into the deep end like that... making you deal with him before you were ready to accept him. I'm sorry for that, but you can't just go around shooting him because he is a demon."

"That's not a good enough reason?!" Simon demanded. He didn't get the difference, really. A demon was a demon was a demon. And he knew what he saw. Ben had his hands around Rachel's neck, his face contorted with rage, and Rachel gasping for breath and begging him to stop. And Sam apparently thought a friendship with a demon counted more than his family. "I'm going to bed." He'd had enough.

"That's probably best." Sam said with a sigh. This was going to be hard... really hard to repair. He was going to need to talk to Dean because this was something he was ill equipped to handle. Dean was better with the demon than Sam would ever be. He was going to have his hands full with Simon.

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Ben walked to Jack's. It was a couple of blocks, at least, but it was dark enough that no one else out noticed the holes in his back. But he wasn't up to traveling through fire anywhere right now. He needed the time to get his temper and his rage back under control. No one, he was sure, knew exactly how tightly controlled he kept it all either.

But he made it to Jack's. And rang the door bell. Then he just fished his key out and let himself in. He figured Jack and Kaylie had been putting the kids down when he had called earlier. Or involved in some marital extracirricular activies. Well, he hoped they were done!

"Jack?" He called out as he came into the house.

"Yeah, I'll be down in a sec." He called as he tucked Abby in, pointing out that she had seen him just a little while ago and didn't need to postpone bedtime to run down and get yet another hug.

Ben managed to chuckle as he heard Abby's protests about bedtime. That one was going to be a serious charmer. Jack would be gray before he was fifty. He went to the fridge and grabbed a beer. And grabbed Jack's paramedic bag, putting it on the table as he sat down to wait for Jack. This wouldn't go over well, he knew that already. But wasn't like he could go to a hospital and get them dug out. He wasn't like Dean, he didn't avoid hospitals because he didn't like them. It was because he couldn't go. Besides, they used way too much saline, and salt water plus demon heritage always equaled more pain than he wanted.

"Hey what's..." Jack paused entering the room. "What happened?" He asked, his tone shifting from casual to concerned. Ben had never come to him injured before. Not like this.

"I was shot." Ben said with a careful shrug. "Don't ask by who, you really don't want to know. I just need them dug out of my back, can't reach it myself." He hated to come to the man he had raised as his son to be patched up, but they were still in there, and they were still burning.

"Okay...off with the shirt." He said with a frown. "Thought you were playing poker tonight." Jack didn't think for a moment it was one of his poker buddies. That would be an entirely different sort of damage done.

"I did." Ben said as he painfully took off his shirt. Realizing belatedly he should have just ripped the damned thing off as he tossed it onto another chair. He stood up and turned the chair around, and sat back down, straddling it as he leaned over the back of it. "This is going to sound weird, but remember I'm a demon. Clean it out with dirty water." They were consecrated bullets, would have to counteract all the blessings and holy water.

His back was a mess. Two bullets, and his whole back was inflamed in parts, blackening in others, around the bullets that were still there.

Jack swore and did everything opposite of what he was trained to do. Eventually getting the bullets out and 'cleansing' the wounds of any possible debris. He couldn't afford to leave even a drop of it in there. "What hunter has come after you?" He asked recognizing the bullets for what they were. "If I didn't know better I would say this came from Sam and Dean's stock."

"I told you not to ask." Ben said with a scowl, though he had tolerated the procedure fairly well. Only cracked the back of the chair with his hands, after all. "Because you don't want to know. Jack, I'm asking. Don't make me tell you, you won't like it." It would cause a rift, and he didn't want that to be his fault. "But this is why I've been so against you becoming a hunter. Because some don't know the difference. They see not quite so human, and figure it has to be destroyed. It's been years since I've been boiled down to an 'it' though. Thought I was over it."

"And if I don't ask I am going to come up with my own conclusions. I know Sam and Dean wouldn't shoot you in the back." He liked to think they wouldn't shoot him at all ever. "Was it Bobby?" Jack had his own issues with Bobby that he kept tightly in check.

Ben made a sound between a chuckle and a groan. "Bobby? He'd shoot me in the mouth, in the hopes it would shut me the hell up." He said. "Fine. It was Simon. I nearly killed the kid, Jack."

"Simon? What the- " He groaned, knowing how that must be for Sam, not to mention Ben. "I hope you mean that in the almost took action sense and not the he is hanging on by a thread sense." He said shaking his head. "I knew it was probably gonna back fire on Sam eventually. Adopting traumatized kids. I guess it back fired on you first though, didn't it?"

"No, he lives. I got control at the last moment. I could have though, so easily. Wouldn't have taken anything out of me to do so." Ben said. "Maybe I should go. To that nice island. Because I don't see Simon stopping from a slap on the wrist from Sam. Much more pain, and I won't stop next time. I told Sam that too."

"You aren't going anywhere. I can't imagine Sam would just give him a slap on the wrist. The kid needs counseling... some heavy duty counseling on top of other things. I can't imagine him letting this go."

"You know? How far does that excuse get you? I get it, he's a traumatized kid. You know what? So was I. So were you. We should be two of the most damaged people in the world. Except of course, I guess I don't count as a person, so I don't count in the equation. Oh, and he's having visions. Apparently I'm going to kill Rachel." Ben said, shaking his head.

"Okay... let's take a step back and look at this... He lost his parents 6 months ago... gets adopted into this new family, and is told he has to accept the demon member of the family as well. He probably had a nightmare about you killing his new family because you are a demon he can put a face to. " Jack said. "You know... at 12... I probably would have shot Bobby or even John Winchester if I had laid eyes on them. I know you didn't just lay down and take it in the beginning. And anyone that thinks you should have is full of crap. It doesn't work that way. "

"Actually I did. My mother started when I was very young, in trying to save me. Not much a baby, even a demon baby can do in defense of himself." Ben said. "And no you wouldn't have. Because I wouldn't have allowed you to have access to guns." When Jack was twelve, he had access to baseball cards and footballs.

"There is that." Jack said. "But I was safe in my own home from anything that could come through the door. Sam has to protect his family however he can. Look... I'm not excusing the kid. And if Sam can't get him under control then the boy is the one that needs to go away. Because you are family and you are staying put."

"You didn't see the way they looked at me. As if they truly did expect me to level the house with an inferno at any minute. I get it, I'm a demon. But I foolishly believed," for Jack's sake more than anything else, "that we had at least moved past that. And Sam is nervous, for as powerful as he has the potential to be, he can't stop me. I expect that will come up, actually. That I am the danger here. And I suppose he's right. I am."

"Wait... Sam looked at you that way? Was it before or after you were shot, because, man... it's pretty logical to worry about what a guy is gonna do when pushed to far. Demon or human, ya know. You've been there for them too many times for me to think Sam would actually turn on you."

"Well, after. But still." Ben said with a scowl. "I can't do this anymore. I can't walk all the lines, and hope that they really don't figure out a way to vanquish me. Oh they have no problem taking advantage of my knowledge or connections, but doesn't change the fact that I'm still a demon. I'm still the enemy. The kind they were put on this earth to destroy, after all. Suppose I shouldn't blame them, they were brainwashed from an early age, but you know what? I do.""You don't have to. Ben... they trust you. They aren't looking for a way to destroy you. There isn't any need. They have asked you to watch their children for crying out loud. Does that sound like something they would do if they thought you needed to be destroyed?"

"I don't pretend to know what's going on in people's minds." Ben said. But he'd seen and experienced way too much, it took a lot for him to give them the benefit of the doubt. "But I also don't expect to be attacked by stupid children." Because it was an incredibly stupid move to shoot someone like him in the back. Especially since all it would do is hurt him and piss him off. "Well, I guess doing my damnest to live as a human backfired quite nicely on me, didn't it?"

"No." Jack said. "It didn't. Because it was one stupid kid... and you didn't kill the stupid kid. Which is more than a lot of humans could say. Simon isn't Sam or Dean, and he wasn't raised by Sam, he was raised by some rabid hunter and is having a hard time adjusting... and aparently an even harder time with self control. That doesn't mean that it's your fault. "

"Yeah, well, l'm out." Ben said. "Because I'm not even going to chance being used as a scapegoat. Last time I was used as a scapegoat, a village filleted me then burned me. It, well, it didn't tickle. I'll protect the kids," meaning Jack's kids, "don't worry about that."

"Ben... come on... don't do this over some kid." He said. "I don't think there is going to be anyone using you as a scape goat. It was a 12 year old boy who didn't even have the sense to know his target. "

"So I should wait until he gets his hands on research material? And finally knows his target?" Ben said. "I can't be killed as far as I know, but that doesn't mean I'm invincible. And it doesn't mean I can't feel pain."

"No... but at least give us a chance to talk some sense into the kid." Jack said. "I like my family the way it is.. I ... don't like thinking about how things will change with you not around all the time, or interacting with my brothers."

"I'm not going anywhere." Ben said, remembering Jack's small abandonment complex he still carried with him. "Interacting with your brothers...I don't know. At least Bobby's honest. I meant out in that the whole search for the demon, I don't want any part of it. Just one last nugget I picked up during my game. Should have waited for Dean, but I know Dean. Now he'll take Sam's side on anything. Your mother, your grandfather, they were nuts. We know that. The one thing they did have in common besides that was that they were willing to start a cult over whatever's in Dean's blood. Dean also managed to cross a wasteland when he was a kid. It's worth looking into. Now, I'm done. And I'd feel a whole lot better if you stayed clear of it all too."

"I know... I don't think I can though. If they don't succeed... it's gonna come down on all of us. Not just me and the kids but everything is gonna end as we know it... I can't stay out of that kind of fight. "

"Wish you could." Ben said. He didn't see this ending neatly for anyone. "I really wish you could. I'm not that used to worrying about people. But let's keep that a secret. Though, if your brothers get you killed, might as well save them seats on the after life bus."

"If anything happens... it's not their fault. It's my own for getting involved. I make my own decisions. You didn't raise me to take the easy way out or blame anyone else for my actions."

"Oh, sure. Blame me." Ben said with a chuckle as he got up and got two beers, handing one to Jack as he opened his. "I don't know what to do about all this. I don't...I don't really know how families work." For years, it was just him. Then it was him and Abby. Then it was him. Then it was him and Jack. This was unfamiliar territory. "Even the Bundys didn't shoot each other though. Though Sydney did get shot by her own mother..." Referring, again, to Alias. Which he still watched on DVD.

Jack laughed softly. "Families don't give up on each other. No matter how much it hurts." He said in a quiet voice. "Granted, bullet wounds are pushing it a little, and a great detriment to the whole warm and fuzzy thing... but... families work things out."

"Yeah, well, we'll see." Ben said, unconvinced. Of course, he'd been the one shot up. "So, Abby's birthday is next month. Guess what she asked me for."

"Flaming batons?" He suggested, figuring it was too much to hope that she asked for a pony.

"So, the real question is not how Sam is going to deal with his trigger happy new son, but how you are going to convince me that I like you better than Abby when it comes to birthday gifts." He'd said his piece. And his peace.

Jack laughed. "No... the question is do you really want to deal with Kaylie if you give our young daughter anything that resembles flaming batons for her birthday?"

"Deal with her? I go homeand lock the door." Ben said. "So Abby likes fire. Just means we have to teach her to use it responsibly, right? Not my fault you designated me primary babysitter to young, impressionable children when, yeah, I like to play with fire too."

"How about we teach her to leave it alone until she is a little less likely to drop said flaming batons on her bed and set the house on fire? Or bash one of her brothers with it... she took a regular baton after Mark once when he laughed at the wrong moment." She hadn't actually hit him, but the girl did have the Winchester temperment.

"Fine." Ben said with a sigh. "Though you were the one who pointed out that as a reward for allowing you to survive to adulthood long enough to spawn, I was allowed to spoil said spawn mercilessly and drive you insane. Guess she gets a pony then."

"A pony might eat us out of house and home but it won't rack up any time in the burn ward." Jack said with a laugh.

"Yeah, there is that." Ben allowed. "So I'm gonna go home and lick my wounds. Give your brother's the tip for me. To be honest, I talk to them right now; there might be time in a burn ward."


	5. Chapter 5

Dean was practically whistling. A ghost (and a few more for extra credit) bound quite nicely. Then he'd dragged Kevin back up to the floor, for there was in fact a round two of flirting. Ended successfully, he had a phone number after all. Absolutely no complaints. Kevin, was of course, mortified. But he'd had his successful hunt and binding, so even he couldn't complain that much. They were headed back to Sam's house, completely oblivious of what had happened, and what was happening.

Simon had laid awake in his bed. Until the house was quiet. He couldn't believe it. Sam had defended that thing. It wasn't safe here. He couldn't get attached. Because they were going to die, and he couldn't stop it. Because they didn't believe him.

So he threw some clothes in a backpack and grabbed his pillow and blanket, balling them up and shoving them between the backpack and his back, andclimbed out the window.

Unseen, unheard. Completely silent. And also completely gone as he ran across town to the downtown area, where it was easy to get lost.

Sam was pacing when they arrived. He was at a loss for how to handle the situation. Growing up, Dean had been the peacemaker. Always getting between Sam and their father. Always trying to make both of them happy. Usually failing miserably but at least he knew how. Sam didn't have a clue. He knew that Ben was right to be angry, to feel betrayed but he also knew what it was like to grow up in a black and white world that was filled with terror behind every corner. He couldn't say he would have handled things any differently at Simon's age. Not an unknown Demon.

"Hey." Dean said as he and Kevin came in. "Mission accomplished." He said with a grin and held up the piece of paper with the number on it. "And we did the ghost thing too." He said and saw Sam. Really saw him. "Dude, what's up?"

"We have a problem... Simon...well...he shot Ben tonight. " Sam said and explained the situation as well as he could. He didn't see much point in sending Kevin from the room. It affected him too.

"Oh wow." Dean said as he sat down. "Well, okay. We can handle this. We gotta. So, wow..he shot Ben, huh?" He shook his head. Sam hadn't mentioned digging the rounds out, which meant only one other person would have. Jack. Which added a whole other ripple to it. "Okay. Well, go wake him up. We're going to talk about this right now. He should at least know better than to fire rounds in the house."

"I've talked and talked and he is still convinced Ben is evil and going to kill Rachel. He has confused his nightmares with visions I think." Sam said as he made his way down the hall to Simon's room. He rapped on the door and waited a moment. "Simon?" He asked and knocked again. Still receiving no answer he opened the door and swore. "He's taken off." He said, coming back toward the living room and grabbing his jacket, keys and cell phone.

"Shit." Dean said. "All right. We'll split up I guess." He said. "You get in your car, Kevin. Three is better than two. I can't believe this." It had been a good night too.

"Yeah, I know." Sam grumbled. "He's not going to be easy to find. He's going to ground. Took bedding and clothing."

Kevin grabbed his keys and sighed. "Well, let's get going." He said. "I'll take downtown."

"Don't forget your cell phone." Sam said. "Check in with both of us on the hour. Looks like you get to post pone that math test after all." He added as he headed out the door.

"Not exactly how I wanted to do it." Kevin said as he got in his car and started to drive. If he wanted to run away, he'd go to crowded areas. They were surprisingly safer, and warmer, and someone was bound to share their food. And if you were a kid, it was easier to hide in a crowded place. So he parked his car and started walking through the downtown, barely refraining from yelling "Simon, oh Simon, where are you?" But he didn't as he walked.Simon had settled down in an entry way, keeping as low a profile as possible, he knew they would come looking for him, but he wasnt expecting it until morning and he certainly wasnt expecting Kevin to be the one to come looking for him. He scanned his surroundings, ever watchful. He expected the demon to come for him. Knew he would once Sam wasn't there to talk him down. TALK him down. He had talked the demon down and then let him go unscathed... and chastised Simon. It wasn't right.

Kevin spotted Simon. And snuck up on him, pulling him into an alley. "Good job, squirt. You got me out of a math test tomorrow. Why didn't I think of taking off?" He said with a grin. Letting Simon explain himself at his own pace.

"I'm not going back." Simon said pulling away. "And if you're smart, you will get as far away from them as you can too." He said. He didn't like leaving them. He had learned to really like this family. But he wasn't going to stick around to watch them die because they were foolish enough to trust a demon of all things.

"Simon..." Kevin said with a sigh. "I know. It's confusing, I don't understand it, and I don't feel very comfortable with him myself. I'm never alone with him, if you haven't noticed." He had scars of his own when it came to demons killing humans. "But it's better than the streets, our house."

"Not with the demon just blazing in whenever he wants to. Not with what I saw him do.. I know he hasn't done it yet but... he will. I know he will. He's going to hurt her... I can't lose another family. I don't know how Tessa managed to survive it... I go through that."

"Yeah, I can imagine." Kevin said. "I don't know what to say to you. I mean, he was let in, the salt line was broken. If the salt line isn't broken, he can't get in He's a weird case, because of Uncle Jack. Apparently he's a package deal, and Uncle Dean, well he likes to pretend we're all one big happy only slightly dysfunctional family."

"He chewed me out for shooting a demon, Kevin. Thats beyond messed up. He's supposed to be this big bad exorcist hunter guy and he chews me out for shooting a demon. But talks nice to the demon. The son of a bitch has me by the throat and he talks nice to him."

"What was he supposed to do? You said it yourself, you shot him, and then he grabbed you by the throat. So all you did was piss him off really." Kevin pointed out. "Was Dad supposed to attack him, knowing the moment he advanced on Ben, he might just snap your neck because he was pissed off enough? Of course he talked him down."

Simon scowled a little petulantly. "He didn't take me seriously, Kev. I told him what I had seen and he told me I had to be wrong. " "Again, the fire throwing pissed off demon was still there, right?" Kevin pointed out. "And he was probably tabling it until he could do research on his own on the vision. Because that's what he does. He doesn't like to fly off the handle or rush to judgment. Completely shows he was going to be a lawyer sometimes.""My dad would have believed me." He said quietly, missing his parents so much more keenly in the last few hours than he had in a long while. They would have believed him... they would never have let a demon in through their defenses.

"You're probably right. But Simon, he's dead. He's not coming back. I lived in the foster care system for a while, believe me, it sucks." Kevin said. "And you'll be even less believed there. Not to mention locked up. And then there's the aspect of living on the streets, you're a good looking kid. Do you really need me to spell out what could happen? Come on, let's go home and figure this out. And Simon...I'm on your side."

Simon sighed. "Well at least someone is." He grumbled. "But... they're gonna get killed too you know... we'll wind up back in foster care anyway." He said as he grabbed his things.

"No we won't." Kevin said. "I'm almost eighteen, I can make a case for custody and shit like that. And there's always Bobby. He's not actively hunting these days." But at least Simon was willing to come back home as he called Sam. "Dad, I found him. We're headed home, we're exhausted."

"Thank God." Sam said into the phone. "I'll meet you at the house. You may as well put the coffee on when you get there. I'll let Rachel and Dean know you've found him."

"Yes sir." Kevin said with a sigh as he closed his cell phone. "Well, let's get going. You're going to get a lecture, you know that, right? On how running away is bad and all that."

"Yeah, whatever." He said with a sigh of his own. "And how I shouldn't shoot the nice demon and how my visions are just my emotions coming out in dreams." He rolled his eyes. "For hunters, grown up sure are clueless sometimes."

"Well, wasn't smart to shoot him. Especially since it didn't do much to him." Kevin agreed, but fora different reason. Not because it was Ben, but because it didn't do any thing really.

"Yeah I guess it was." He said with a sigh. "You've know it longer than I have... what's it up to? I mean, it's not normal for a demon to just... raise a hunter's son and hang out with others. He has to have some sort of agenda."

"He's promise bound. And it's a big thing for him, something mystical having to do with his demon half. He was trapped into a promise to make sure Jack stayed safe. So he does. I honestly believe Jack and his kids are safe from him. Everyone else, it's probably fair game though."

"And Sam and Dean have this idea it passes on to them somehow. Nice. Guess we gotta find out how to keep him from killing Rachel, cause... I don't think Sam will survive it if she dies. Especially not if Ben does it."

"We'll run interference between the two. Rachel never comes within five feet of him." Kevin said. "For that, I'm gonna need you, man. So seriously, no more taking off, okay?"

Simon looked at his adopted brother for a moment. "You aren't just saying that to keep me in one place, are you? You really believe me?" He asked.

"Don't know. But I do know I don't trust Ben." Kevin said honestly. "So I'm not taking any chances.""Fair enough." Simon said. He could handle that. It was at least an ally in his court for now. He didn't know what they could do to protect this new found family of theirs but they had to do something.

"Good." Kevin said. "So let's go before both Dad and Uncle Dean decide we need to be tracked. Because trust me, there's no escape."

Simon rolled his eyes. "Yeah okay. " He said and got into his brother's car. "So how did the ghost thing go?"

"It was great. Until Uncle Dean started pickingupnurses. Thought he was going to tell me to drive myself home there for a minute, and catch some quiet time in an empty room with one of them." Kevin said, shaking his head. "Sometimes, I swear he's demonic."

"Half satyr or something." Simon said with a faint laugh. "Or just lonely. Sometimes guys are like that. At least that was how my real dad explained one of his friends that always come over with a different girl. Made no sense to me but it's supposedly normal."

"Or you get to be my age, and you call it horny." Kevin said with a laugh as he drove back to the house. "I'm gonna laugh my ass off when he gets well into dirty old man territory."

"Oh now there's an image. It would be like Bobby looking for a date. Please." Simon said, shaking his head.

Kevin laughed as he pulled into the driveway. "Okay, you're really tired. Really really tired. Let's see if we can avoid a whole lecture until the morning." He said. "Cause you know what? I AM tired."

"You can probably avoid it... Don't think I am gonna get even half a chance." He said, spotting the adults cars coming around the corner.

Kevin saw the cars as well and sighed. "Don't worry, I'll get it delayed." He said. He was the older brother after all.

Dean got out of the Impala and waited for Sam. These were his kids after all. But he knew if Mary did something like this, he'd be hard pressed NOT to tan her hide.

Sam gave both boys a cursory glance worthy of John himself, and nodded, pointing toward the door, not daring to speak himself at the moment. Simon looked to the ground sullenly and headed toward the house, not wanting to deal with this at all. He had shot a demon. He shouldn't have to listen to a lecture. Shouldn't be in trouble.

Dean followed the boys into the house. He felt bad for them. He'd been on the other side of a look like that once or twice from his own father. But he grabbed a beer in case Sam needed some back up on certain points.

"Dad, it's late." Kevin said placatingly. "How about I make Simon something to eat, and we all get some sleep?" He suggested.

Sam gave his eldest son a look, but nodded curtly. "Yeah, go ahead and make something to eat while Simon and I talk." His tone was brisk, clipped, his body language tense. Shoulders squared, chin lifted. "Simon, put your things back in your room and come back here. Make it quick."

Dean watched as the boys left the room. One to his room, the other to the kitchen. "Well, before you get into it, let me just say that Kevin picked up the symbology quick. He drew the last circle by himself." He said, since they hadn't gotten to really discuss the hunt he and Kevin had been on.

Sam nodded. "He's smart... takes to this naturally. Gotta wonder if I am doing him any favors, letting him go down that path." Not that he could stop him really. He could in the short term but not the long term. He knew that he had to prepare his sons for the world that awaited them.

"No choice. He'd do it anyway. At least this way he knows how." Dean said. He knew how Kevin felt. Even if their father hadn't set them out on this road they were on, when he became an adult, he would have found a way to do it anyway, after what he saw in Sam's nursery. After their mother.

The boys shuffled in and Simon sat at the very corner of the couch, hoping he'd just shrink into it as Kevin sat in a chair with his sandwich and soda.

"So, you want to tell me what the hell you were thinking?" He asked Simon. "Do you even know what sort of trouble you created tonight? You could have been killed and there wasn't a damned thing I could do about it. You think a pissed off betrayed demon is gonna stop at you either?" Sam didn't think Ben would take that route but, you never knew what would happen if he were pushed too far. Humans have been known to do some terrible things when pushed too far. What more would a demon do?

"You're the one who invitedit in!" Simon shot back, straightening up, no longer trying to blend with the couch. Kevin put his sandwich aside and watched the two. "If you were so worried about what it was going to do, you should have left the salt line intact! It's a demon! Not the friendly neighbor."

"That particular demon has been friendly to our family longer than you have been alive." Sam said. " You knew it was Ben... you knew I allowed him in and still you chose to shoot him in the back?" Sam demanded. "I don't know what you learned before you came here, but if you learn nothing else tonight, you are going to learn that you do not shoot people I invite in, and you never ... I repeat never shoot a demon when it isn't going to do any damned good!"

"You don't even care that I saw him hurt Rachel!" Simon said, getting to his feet. "You don't believe me, or you think I'm crazy. You're taking a demon's side over mine!"

"Yes I care, and no I don't think you are crazy, but damn it you should have told me before you decided to go after him yourself. You have single handedly turned this family upside down. It might not have even been Ben in your vision. If it wasn't a nightmare induced by the fact that you don't trust him."

"You did everything but make me apologize to it while its hands were around my throat!" Simon said. "That's a dangerous demon! It's not a babysitter!"

"What was I supposed to do? Shoot him again? Cause that worked so well the first time. Damn it Simon, you have to think past the emotions if you are gonna live to see your first date."

"And how long until it kills you?" Simon said. "How long until Kevin and I are orphans again? Except our other parents, they didn't invite the demon through the front door. Maybe it won't stop with you. Maybe it'll take all of us out. But it's more important that it attends the dinners on Sunday to keep the family peace, right?"

"Ben hasn't been aggressive to this family ever. He helped our father rescue us when I was your age. He raised Jack. He is part human too, Simon. All of that isn't even the point. The point is you took a gun and shot a demon that you had no hope of taking out. You didn't think. You just reacted on impulse. That is what is going to get people killed, Simon. Not my inviting Ben into our home."

"Okay, can I say something?" Kevin said. "We're running circle here." He pointed out. "I'll make sure Simon understands that he can't discharge a weapon in the house without a good reason." He looked at Simon. "And because the gun couldn't really hurt him, it was without a good reason."

"Simon... what is it you understand from this conversation?" Sam asked sharply, exact tone and wording from so many arguements in the past, so many lectures that he himself had stormed away from pretending not to have heard a word his father had said.

"Don't shoot a gun in the house unless I know for sure what I'm shooting at." Simon said sullenly.

"And?" He asked pointedly. Lifting a finger in Kevin's direction to silence him before he could jump in again.

Kevin sighed and shook his head.

"And ahappy demon makes for happy Winchesters." Simon mumbled. At least that was his take on it.

"No... that you should tell me about your visions before acting on them, that you are not to attack Ben or antagonize him in any way and you sure as hell are not to run away like that. Do you think you can handle that?"

"Yes sir." Simon mumbled as Kevin crossed the room and took his arm.

"Come on, squirt. It's before two in the morning, which of course means we've got school tomorrow." He said with a chuckle, a forced chuckle, and an easy grin that was reminiscent of Dean's, though other than that they shared really no physical resemblance.

Dean was leaning against the wall, just staring at Sam.

"Straight home from school tomorrow." Sam said letting them leave the room without stopping them. "You're grounded for the next two weeks, sport. "

The boys headed to their rooms in silence and Dean heard their doors softly shut. Well, he vaguely heard it. He was actually lost in memory, like a thirty year old memory as he just stared at Sam.

"Dude..." Dean said, shaking his head.

"What?" Sam asked, running his hands through his hair. He couldn't remember the last time he had been this angry and frustrated. Everything was churning into a huge knot in his stomach.

"What? Oh, sorry. Thought I was somewhere else. Like thirty years ago, watching you and Dad go at it." Dean said. "Cause man, Jack might have his voice...but you've mastered his tone.""What? Oh... sorry..I just... I tried talking to him earlier and it didn't seem to sink in. I guess I can understand Dad a little better now."

Dean started laughing. "Understand what? That you've got one thick head?" He said. "Guess I should make a run over to Jack's, since I'm sure he knows by now." He'd called, the girls were sleeping and Bobby was watching an infomercial. He was a chronic insomniac, Dean could relate.

"I'm not the only one." He said meaning his younger son. "Yeah... " he stepped closer to his brother, "give my apologies, will ya?" He said softly. "I'm working on it with him but it's not gonna happen over night."

"Yeah, I know." Dean said. "I'll let Jack know." He was used to being the peacemaker, the intermediary, the liason. Spent all his childhood doing that.

"I would do it myself but... I don't relish the sound the phone slammed in my ear and I don't trust the boys here alone right now." He said honestly. He was certain of Kevin. But not of Simon at the moment.

"I know." Dean said. "Sam, I know. It's okay. I got this. It'll be tense fora while, I think I've just become Switzerland, but it'll work out."

"This really couldn't have happened at a worse time." Sam said with a sigh and sank onto the sofa. He doubted he was going to sleep any time soon. "I'll see you at the shop later today."

"Sure, bro." Dean said. "And don't worry. It will work out." Because if he had to, he'd make it work. He headed over to Jack's and let himself in. He wasn't going to wake Jack up, not for this, but if he was up, they'd talk.

Jack was awake. Ben had long since gone home but Jack was awake. He looked up as Dean let himself in. "So... what brings you over here at this late hour?" He said taking another drink of his 3rd beer.

Dean grabbed a beer and sat next to his brother. "Well, I figured you'd heard. So how's Ben doing?" Dean asked as he opened his beer.

"Mad as a hornet. I had to pick consecrated rounds out of his back. It was turning black on him already when he got here. Why the hell did the kid shoot him?"

"Because he's messed up." Dean said honestly. Not sugar coating it, or making excuses. "He's one messed up kid. Then he took off, Kevin found him. He says...he says he had a vision of Ben hurting Rachel. I don't know, I don't know about visions and crap. I can't imagine Ben doing that, first of all. Maybe it was what Simon wanted to see. And Sam...god, Sam doesn't know what to do. But you got the rounds out? He'll be okay?"

"Physically, yeah. He won't admit it, but I think this really hurt his feelings more than anything, and I know it dredged up a lot of old PTSD issues." Jack shook his head. "He was talking about heading off to that island he keeps joking about. Only he wasn't joking. He didn't want to tell me who had done it either, I had to badger it out of him. "

Dean had to chuckle. "After the past few weeks, if he takes off to that island, he's taking me with him." Dean said."Well, I'm at a loss. Wish I could blame it on the demon. The yellow eyed fallen angel kind, not the Benkind," Dean quickly added, "he's been my scape goat for just about everything."

"It's not your fault. Sam just... he got caught up in trying to help the kid out and didn't see how bad a mix it would be with Ben. I wish I could say I'm not pissed about it because I am. I understand it, but I could really strangle that kid right now."

Dean nodded. Especially since Ben had given them all the option of him opting out of stuff. And Sam had said no. "You're not stuck in the middle, Jack. You feel that way, but you're not. Ben won't talk to us, and I completely understand that. But I'm not going to pass messages to him through you. That's not right. You're Jack, he's Ben. You are two different people, and if you have to, you do come separately."

"I know." He said and finished his beer. "Speaking of passing messages. There was a reason he was at Sam's." He said then relayed the information Ben had given him.

Dean sighed. "I'll look into it. Maybe Bobby knows something. We're one screwed up family, though." He said.

"Man we were screwed up long before now." Jack said. "This just pointed out the glaring problems we've been ignoring."

"And what are those? That we all try way too hard?" Dean said. "That we've all got abandonment complexes of some sort? The fact that we're creeping up on middle age?"

"The fact that we come from two opposing sides in a very nasty war." Jack said. After all, Jack was raised from the beginning to accept demons, and Sam and Dean were raised to kill them on sight.

"Oh yeah. That." Dean said. "Well, give a little credit. We've come pretty far. Dude, I lived with a demon. And you lived with a hunter, so did said demon. Maybe it's a demilitarized zone of sorts. I don't know. So any idea how to fix the problem?"

"Well...wouldn't advise touching the thermostat next time you go over. " He said and sighed "I wish I did. Short of the kid getting over it apologizing and groveling for forgiveness... for a couple years.. not a clue."

"Dude I so have to touch the thermostat. Now, if I don't, he'll know something's up and I'm treating him differently, and he'll toast me on the spot just on principle. Or at least singe my boots to make a point." Dean said with a laugh. "I don't know what we're going to do about Simon, but until he gets this figured out in his head, no family gatherings for him."

"At least not ones that Ben is going to." Jack shook his head. "It's all insane. We have a fallen angel to defeat and the entire book of revelations to prevent and they choose NOW to start trouble in the family."

"But hey, on the positive side, I scored a date." Dean said with a chuckle. "Just wish Simon would have just ignored Ben like Kevin does for the most part." And that worked out well for everyone, actually. Kevin had his comfort zone, and Ben had his comfort zone, and the whole family was able to just...be.

"A date... which nurse am I going to have to dodge for the next few weeks when you don't call back?" He asked, changing the subject because in his opinion Simon was just broken. Kevin was traumatized and had his issues but he had always dealt with them, and tried to over come them. Jack had been impressed with his ability to do that, but Simon was broken. Damaged beyond repair. But then... Jack was pissed at the moment. His opinion was probably colored.

"Dude, I might call back." Dean said. "Besides, she has access to my medical records which include my home address, and the garage, so if she's psycho enough to stalk my baby brother, she'll just camp out on my porch." Dean said with a laugh. "You have absolutely no faith."

"Faith is the evidence of things unseen, not the belief in something that never happens." Jack said with a laugh. "Cause if she is worth calling back, you run as fast as you can in the other direction."

"Nice. I'm feeling really supported here." Dean said with a chuckle. "You know, just for that, I will call her back. Even if I don't want to.""Yeah, I'll believe that when I see it. Or when you trip over her in the dark. That seems to be the big selling point for you." Jack teased.

"Only in a cemetary and only right by a gate to hell." Dean replied good naturedly. "Between Mary trying to get me to marry any single woman that so much as walks by the house, and you doubting I can even call a woman back...I really don't know which way to go."

"You'll go the way you want to go. Not that you will have any clue which way that is until you are half way down the path." He said, getting up from the couch to lock the door behind his brother when he left.

"Yeah I know." Dean said with a grin. "Well, try to get some sleep. Enjoy the quiet while you can." He teased. "You know, with number four on the way and all." He said with a chuckle. "Night."

"Night. I'll stop by tomorrow after work see how things are going." He said, not wanting Dean to think it was him that he was upset with. Understanding or not, this was just one more thing he and Sam were never going to see eye to eye on.

Dean went back home, and fell into bed. It had been a long day. His alarm went off the next morning, and he groaned, pushing the snooze button for about an hour before he finally dragged himself to the shop and buried himself in some random car until Sam came in.

"Hey." He said to his brother. "So," he said with a sigh, "how's Simon?"

"Sullen, angry... you know... amazingly like me at that age for not having been raised by me to this point." he said with a forced smile. "Starting to think Dad should have been given a medal for not beating the hell out of me."

"I've been saying that for years." Dean said. "So Jack says that Ben will be fine." Dean said, wiping his hands off with a rag. "So that's at least something. Pissed off as all hell, but he'll be fine."

"I had assumed he would be, just in a lot of pain. " Sam said. "He wouldn't be around if something so simple as consecrated rounds could do him real harm. Don't blame him for being pissed off. I'm pissed and I wasn't even the one shot.""Well, you think Simon's got PTSD? Ben's got a couple centuries' worth. We're lucky he didn't take the kid out." Dean said. "So, we've got a compromise. Any family events that Ben goes to, Simon can't come. Which will mainly be Jack's part of the family." Mary would be a sticky point, Ben had been around since day one. He'd watched Mary while Dean went to her mother's funeral."Yeah, I know... " Sam said not liking it, because it wasn't really dealing with it. He knew however that it wasn't going to be something either Ben or Simon would be able to alter in themselves easily. Kevin wasn't even over it completely. Just Kevin was willing to think before acting. Simon it seemed, was just too new to the pain to work through it.

"Well, what's the other choice? Put those two in a group therapy session and let them talk their issues out?" Dean joked. "The therapist would be in the psych ward before the end of the hour. Even your church therapists.""I know. PTSD isn't something you can just talk someone into not having anymore either." Sam said with a sigh. "Look what it did to Dad after all. You still have trouble with heights..."

Dean gave him a look at that one. He didn't like to be reminded of that. At all. "Yeah, well, you're not too cozy in tight spaces there." He said.

"Yeah, I know. Point is none of us is free of that particular disorder. I know what Simon was feeling. I understand why he did it. Especially if he feels he is having visions. Makes it hard to punish him "

"No it doesn't." Dean said. "You just have to choose what to punish him for. Firing a gun in the house. That's a good one. Dad woulda tanned our hides if we'd done that." Unless they were in mortal danger, like the shtriga when Sam was so young, no firing in the house. Ben standing there was hardly mortal danger.

"True enough." Sam said. "I can't get it into his head that Ben isn't going to hurt Rachel. My god, what would Rachel have to do to bring that sort of anger about? Nothing in her personality would have her attacking him first. It has to be a nightmare, or his mind super imposing Ben for a faceless demon because that's the demon he is worried about right now. I don't know if I should start guarding her more heavily or not."

"You probably should. Just for Simon's peace of mind. Even if it drives Rachel completely up the wall." Dean said. "After Kaylie was kidnapped by Hendrickson, there was a long period of time when Jack nearly smothered the poor girl."

"Yeah... I will talk to her about it when I pick her up after work. Her car is... well she refuses to admit that you can't resurrect the dead. So we are down to a single car again."

"Dude, even I have my limits." Dean said with a laugh. "That car...I don't even know where to begin. Been telling her that for a year."

"She loves that thing. Personally I hate it. But it's not like I can convince her to get rid of it. Anyway, until she gives in or we find a duplicate to pass off as the original, I am the family taxi service." Mundane problems. Sam loved the fact that he had mundane problems now. Such things as dead and dying cars, stubborn fiance and a son with girl trouble. Those were the details that kept him sane when dealing with angry demons and the threat of armageddon on the horizon.

Dean chuckled. "Yeah, at least I have Mary trained. If neither of us can fix it, it's time to give it a proper send off at the scrap yard." He said.

"And that is just one of the many glaring differences between a daughter and a girlfriend." Sam pointed out as he gathered his tools and started to work.

Dean laughed as he returned to the car he was working on. Had taken nearly twenty years, but Dean had gotten Sam better under a hood than what he had been. Of course, Sam probably, for years growing up, had a mental block about learning it. Just another way to butt heads with their dad. Now? It was another way to pay the bills and put food in his mouth.

Sam had always been capable of working on cars. He wasn't gifted like Dean was. Of course Sam figured that had to do with the fact that he didn't think of them as alive after a fashion as his brother did. Whether he admitted it or not. Jack entered the garage. He hadn't slept at all the night before. Thankfully he didn't have to work that night. With the family as tore up as it was at the moment, he needed to make connection with Dean.

Dean was giving the keys of another job well done to a customer when Jack entered. Dean took the credit card reciept and nodded to Jack as the customer left. Oh shit, Sammy was here. This was going to turn out well, Dean could tell right away.

"Hey." Dean said. "You look like hell."

"Yeah, feel like hell too, but no rest for the wicked right?" Jack asked, looking around the place knowing that Sam was there, not sure he wanted to deal with that particular brother or not at the moment.

"Thought that was my line, and you were the angel of the family." Dean said with a chuckle and saw Jack looking around. "Yeah, Sam's here. He's buried in a Volvo right now."

Jack nodded' "How's he doin'?" He asked, knowing that it was only a matter of time before the fur flew but he could put it off a while anyway.

"Well, we've decided we've all got degrees of PTSD. Not sure where that gets us, definitely doesn't get me on some therapist's couch, but I don't know. Last night was two people's PTSD crashing against each other." Dean said. "Sam knows Simon was wrong to do that. He's pissed about it."

"Damned straight he was wrong." Jack grumbled. "Ben's back was tore all to hell. I've never seen him injured before. Yeah he had been tore up after that exorcism, but it hadn't been actual wounds."

"Hey, I'm not defending the kid." Dean said. "I don't know what we're going to do about it. But I already told Sam Simon and Ben can't be in the same place for the near future. Most likely longer."

Jack scowled. "He's a kid." Sam said from under the hood of the Volvo. "12 year olds aren't known for their judgment skills. If they had them, they would be short adults instead of kids barely old enough to be left alone after school." He said gruffly.

"He still shot a fire demon in the back. They're staying seperated. I like my barbeques in the pit or on the grill. Not standing on my deck." Dean said. "Because they both have to learn to deal with each other now, and I don't see that happening any time soon."

"They aren't going to either if they don't spend time together." Sam said."Why? So the next time he can shoot him some place I can't dig the bullet from? " Jack demanded. "I never said I wanted to see Ben hurt; stop putting words in my mouth." Sam told him as he closed the hood of the car.

Dean shook his head. "And here we go." He said under his breath. "I don't think that any sort of meeting between the two of them, right now, is in anyone's best interest." He said. "Ben's back probably still hurts, and Simon's still pissed."

"Well I wasn't meaning they should get together today. " Sam said. "I just don't think that giving it too much time to fester is a good idea, either.""Of course you wouldn't. You aren't worried about them so much as worried about being inconvenienced or having to exclude one of your strays from the family gatherings.""That so called stray is my son." Sam said, once more adopting his father's very tone and body language.

Dean groaned. Feeling like he was sixteen again. "So," he said, attempting to change the subject. This one was far too volatile. "Speaking of sons and daughters, Kaylie had an ultrasound? Mary's itching to go shopping. On my card of course."

"You're not his father, Sam.""That's like saying Ben's not yours. Can't have it both ways." Sam said, as both brothers seemed to not hear what Dean was saying.

"Okay, can we stop swiping at each other?" Dean said. "Because it's really ridiculous. Yes, Simon shot Ben. That was very bad. Ben's pissed, he should be. I'd be pissed if I got shot in the back. They're not hanging out together in the foreseeable future. End of story. Because those two...I just don't see it going well, okay? So no more swipes on fatherhood and crap like that, okay?"

"And if we don't get them to work it out in the foreseeable future, where do you expect me to leave my son while we go off and take on the Yellow Eyed Demon? Yeah, it's selfish of me but damn it... right now that's weighing pretty heavily on my mind. Since we don't have alot of time."

Dean groaned. He hadn't thought about that, not really. But it was a little unfair to ask Ben to guard the kid that shot him with holy rounds, right? "Well, I guess we'll figure it out." He said lamely, because he really didn't have an answer to that one.

"Oh that's rich, expecting Ben to babysit the little bastard that shot him." Jack said, shaking his head."Watch the name calling." Sam said firmly. "And I don't expect him to while they are still pissed at each other or a threat. It's the reason I want it worked out sooner rather than later though. Would you want one of your kids left out of the protection because of a mistake?""A mistake!" Jack yelled."Yeah. A mistake." Sam countered. "A hell of a big one. A nasty violent messed up mistake that hurt someone. I'm not down playing it. But let's be honest, would you have dealt with Bobby all that well at 12?""That's different."

Dean felt like beating his head into a wall. "So, you really expect Ben and Simon to work out their differences when you two can't even see eye to eye on this issue?" He said, getting a cup of coffee. Though he sorely wished it was whiskey right now.

"I don't know what I expect!" Sam yelled in frustration. "But apparently in one act that I didn't commit, I have lost a brother and a friend and right now it's looking like my younger son is gonna wind up out in the cold when the world comes to an end around our ears, so friggin excuse me if I am a little irrational at the moment.""Who said you lost a brother?" Jack demanded."I don't know... I think it was you. You know I work here, you knew I would be here, and you came in picking a fight. Poking at it. Calling my son names, implying he isn't family when you of all people should know better."

"Whoa!" Dean said, getting physically between them. He even looked a little panic stricken. After all the times he'd crawled back from death's door for his family, he was not about to watch it all crumble now. "No one said any such thing that Jack wasn't a brother anymore. Let's just calm down, okay?"

"That's not what I meant." Sam said. "And this doesn't-" He started to say it didn't involve Dean. But it did. "Forget it. It's alright. After all there's only one side to this and all that matters is that Jack and Ben feel safe and secure. I've gotta go." Sam wasn't up to dealing with this with Jack. He'd deal with Ben if he had to, but Jack... no. "I never said that!" Jack shot back."Yeah well, you implied it pretty heavily. I gotta sort through things, find some place for my family to be safe when things all go down. you and me... it'll pass. But not if I lose my family... because if either of you think that Rachel or Kevin will leave him someplace else while they are with Ben... you don't know either of them at all. "

Crash.

Dean threw a tool against the concrete wall of the garage, the metal hitting rock echoing through the space. "That's enough!" He said. "This family is NOT going to fall apart. None of it. That includes Ben and that includes Simon. We WILL figure this out."

Sam looked at Dean sharply, but didn't say another word. He simply took a long deep breath and walked away. They didn't understand and there was no way he could really tell them. The closer they came to the battle, the more that went wrong, the closer he came to losing everything again. The demon didn't want them, he wanted Sam. His family had only ever been in danger because of him and the demon's fixation... because of his mixed parentage. And now he had added to that family, brought people into the demon's line of fire. Because he had been foolish enough to think they could be protected. But they couldn't. Jack ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Well..."

"Yeah, I know. That went well." Dean said, shaking his head, retrieving his tool. He looked at it and threw it in the trash. He'd thrown it hard enough that it was beyond repair or salvage. Even the wall looked a little worse for wear.

Sam stared at the wall. His hands shook at his side, so he clenched them into tight fists. His jaw ticked as he contemplated his situation, and what had to be done. Things he hadn't wanted to do again. Things he had never wanted to accept as a part of himself. But how else could he do it all? How could he protect them as he stood now? He closed his eyes and gave a shuddering sigh before stepping into the nearest shadow, half expecting to simply feel the impact of foot upon concrete, but the cold and darkness engulfed him once more as he took another step, and another, seeking out sun rise.

Dean watched his brother go, he didn't see the shadow part as he offered Jack a cup of coffee. "He's got a point. How are we going to do this if we're not even remotely a little bit sure our families are safe?"

"Most of them are safe." Jack said "The only one that's in question is Simon." Jack said, even though he knew that was an unrealistic statement. Because Sam was right. It wouldn't happen any more than Ben would have left him vulnerable as a child. But Jack wasn't feeling particularly reasonable on the subject at the moment.

"Maybe we should lock those two in a cage and make themwork out their issues. Good old fashioned cage fighting." Dean said, he wasn't remotely serious though."Jack, this one we're going after...he's a bad mofo. Anything you might have heard from Ben, and definitely everything you've fought so far...not even close. He'll go after whatever and whoever he can."

"Okay, but with the rest of the family here... why would he target simon if he werent even in the area... I mean... he barely has the winchester name at this point."

"Because Sam cares about him." Dean said. "Look what he did to me to trap Sam into a deal. Look what he did to my mother. Or Dad for that matter. From what I understand, it's going to take all three of us to bring this bitch down, all it takes is the distraction of one."

Jack sighed. "Why the hell is he so fixated with Sam? your mother died when he was a baby after all. None of this makes any sense to me, to be honest. It never has."

"He's fixated with Sam, because Sam is his favorite, out of all the children like him. I don't know why. He just is. Dad didn't exactly establish diplomatic ties with the demon either, hunting him like he did." Dean said. "I think I've been a major thorn in his side, I keep pulling Sam back...which is why he wants to off me too. I warned you from the get-go we were a messed up bunch."

"Yeah... just didn't expect it to continue on to the next generation, I guess." He said with a sigh.

"Well, it hasn't completely." Dean said with a grin. "Mary's perfect."

Jack laughed. " Yeah, it's not our kids. It's just Sam's that are messed up." He teased.

"Dude, Abby wants fire batons. Badly. She even asked me for them." Dean said. "Benji's a cookie thief of the highest order. And Mark..well, I'd watch out for him. Good looking kid and all," Dean teased with a smirk, "so, yeah, only Mary and Tessa are perfect. The rest of you are screwed."

"Abby is just precocious, Benji is just taking after his old man. Mark though ... I think you're right. I have to watch out for him. All those straight A's and sports trophies... the kid has got to be damaged."

"All right, all right. Point taken." Dean said with a laugh, holding his hands up. "Precocious. I'll remember that one. I think Dad described me as precocious once..."

"John Winchester said Precocious?" Jack asked with one raised eyebrow. "Not that I don't think he had a vocabulary just... doesn't seem to fit the image."

"There were lots of sides to Dad. I don't think Sam and I even knew them all. Even counting in Bobby's stories." Dean said with a shrug. "Course, he said that when I was in fourth grade and I had tried to exorcise the janitor of my school. Turns out he wasn't possessed, just an asshole."

Jack started to laugh. "Why doesn't that surprise me? Would have been great to see the poor guy's face though. Bet he thought twice about who he was a jerk to after that."

"I hope so." Dean said with a laugh. "Course I'd take a possessed janitor over everything else we've got going on right now."

"Depends on who it's possessed by." Jack said. "I mean... isn't that what we are basically up against... a demon in a human body?"

"Oh that's completely different. I was talking run of the mill possession." Dean said."So what's your opinion on it? I mean, I might be able to convince Ben to watch Mary and Tessa. Maybe Kevin. But Simon?"

"I don't think Ben would watch Simon. Give him a little a few days and you will be off his shit list. Sam will take a little work but I think he will relent and keep an eye on Rachel and Kevin... Simon... not likely."

"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of. Then what are Sam's choices? Bring the little shit with us?" Dean said.

"I don't know." Jack said. "But you can't blame Ben for being less than willing to protect someone that shot him in the back."

"I didn't say I blamed him." Dean said. "Sam doesn't blame him either. We're just...thinking long term is all. Probably too long term, but we are. We just want all our little ducks in a row. Including the fire throwing and the trigger happy ones."

"Unfortunately the trigger happy duckling is the one that needs protecting." Jack said. "Are you sure there isn't anyone else that could protect the kid?"

"Not that I can think of." Dean said. "Maybe Sam has someone. I would have said Bobby twenty years ago, but now? Probably not."

"Yeah, right now Bobby is needing protection too." Jack sighed. "I know it's not fair, but damn it... I don't know what to tell Sam about all this. I can't just say poor Simon, and pat the kid on the head. It's not happening."

"And, of course, it's not like Simon wants to be watched and protected by Ben. Maybe we should just lock Simon in a closet in the same room. That way he gets the benefit of protection by proxy, and they don't actually have to deal with each other." Dean suggested. Half joking.

"Instead he gets to claim he was abused by Ben because Ben would be the one keeping him there after we are gone. How about we knock the kid out for the duration? That could fix it too."

"You know," Dean said after a moment's thought, "that's not a bad idea...Bobby could keep him under easily. Beneath the redneck roughneck exterior...he's actually pretty good with medicine stuff. Patched me and Sam up enough. Dad too."

"So long as we could talk Sam and Ben into it... it could work." Jack said. "Do you think he will go for it?"

"It's a last resort thing, but it could work." Dean said with a sigh. "They're all giving up some amount of dignity. We're sticking all these people, family or not, in one house, possibly limited to one room, kitchen and bathroom, until we get back. Kaylie's nice and pregnant, Rachel's paranoid we're all going to die, Bobby's cranky and Ben is snarky."

"Okay... you have succeeded in making me grateful to be going on this expedition and not left behind with the family." Jack said shaking his head. "But hey... I gotta get going. We can sort this out more between now and then."

"Sounds good. I gotta get back to work anyway. Trying to get ahead before shit hits the fan." Dean said. "And blame yourself for Kaylie's moods, not any of us."

"If they are out of the blue, I take the blame but anything you earn... isn't my fault." He said with a laugh as he walked out the door.

"They're all your fault!" Dean called after him. "I wasn't the one that knocked her up!"

ITNOTFITNOTFITNOTFITNOTFITNOTFITNOTFITNOTFITNOTF

Ben was no longer in excruciating pain. Just pain. Enough to make him ill tempered that even the stupidest employee was treading lightly as he worked in his club, in the stock room going over inventory. He half hoped something was missing, so he would have an 'excuse' to start yelling, maybe throwing things. Light a few fires. Something. It was incredibly hard to be so well behaved all the time, when half of his instincts were screaming at him to go cause some chaos, go get some payback, go ahead, they deserve it.

Sam stepped through the shadows into the back of the club and shook off the chill. He wasn't sure he liked how easily it was all coming back, but he could only hope that it was a worthy sacrifice for the greater good. He strode down the hall and into Ben's office.

A bartender passing by poked his head in. "He's in the stock room. All the way back on the right." He said.

Ben looked up from his clipboard at Sam when he entered the stock room. "Whatever the question is, I bet the answer is no. Anything else?" He said, returning his attention back to his stock.

"Ah, so you aren't okay." Sam said, not intimidated by Ben. He hated that it had come to this, but he didn't think it had progressed to the point that he had anything to fear.

"That is an incredibly stupid thing to ask. Would you be 'okay' if you were shot last night?" Ben scoffed as he made his checks. "What's your definition of 'okay'? Being able to walk around? Hardly a good definition. I thought YOU of all people would understand that distinction."

Sam sighed. "I came to see how you were doing. I was just following a smart ass comment with one in return, okay?" He told the demon. "And even at my ...strangest... I think you would manage to be closer to okay after being shot than me."

"I was referring more to your brother. Whenever he says he's okay, you never believe him." Ben said. "And sinceyou want to refer to your...strangeness...does precious Simon know his darling new father could be considered demonic in origin? That's gonna go over well. Might want to invest in some kevlar."

"I'm going to tell him tonight. He is going to need to deal with a few harsh realities." He said honestly. "Or we will have to rethink the adoption. I didn't condone what he did Ben. I know it didn't seem that I was upset with him last night but... I was at the moment interested in getting my son out of the grip of the angry person he had just shot, thananything else."

"Well, congratulations. You did that. And I get to spend the rest of his life wondering when he's going to shoot me next." Ben said. "Or maybe he'll go old school and try to burn the demon out of me. That's always amusing. Then there's your run of the mill torture by stretching, pressing, and disembowlment. Exorcisms are fun, hey, maybe you can teach him. Could be a nice bonding project there."

"What did you want me to do, Ben, tell you to go ahead and break his neck? Go ahead and take revenge on a 12 year old boy?" Sam shook his head. "I know he did wrong, I will make sure he knows that he did wrong. Hell, he ran away because he said I was taking your side if that tells you anything. "

"So that's supposed to make me feel better? That a kid runs off because he's pissed?" Ben said and shook his head. "You don't get it, Sam. You'll never get it. You can't get it. Because you were sheltered and protected. You think you know what it's like to be hunted? You have no idea."

"I know that." Sam said. "I ... I don't know what to do here, Ben! There is no punishment that will be severe enough to appease you, and he is a seriously messed up kid. You think I was sheltered? For a hunter's kid ... he was sheltered. Lived with it in abstract the same way a cop's kids live with the abstract of the criminals his father hunts. Then it came home and tore everyone he loved limb from limb in front of him. He doesn't get it yet. Not really. I'm sorry that's not good enough... but this is our family, Ben... there has to be a way to work through this."

"Sure there is." Ben said. "Send the kid back." He said with a careful shrug. He was still healing. He'd heal, but it was slow for him due to the nature of the rounds used against him. "Before he gets all up in your hunter fan club. Tells them what he 'knows.' Because next thing I know I'll be lynched. And there will be a hunter barbeque so big, it'll make the national news."

"They won't give him to a non hunter family, Ben. They can't. He'd wind up committed for the night terrors alone." Sam said with a sigh. "So he would wind up in the hunter fan club as you call it much sooner. And we don't send people away because they screw up. Or because they are different. We work it out."

"Screwed up? That's what you call it?" Ben said, the temperature rising a bit in the room. Not to be threatening, but because of Ben's mood. "I got shot. So it's a screw up because it didn't kill me? What if it did? Would it still be a screw up? A nasty little accident to be swept under the rug as neatly as possible as you 'work it out'? A screw up is turning my AC on. A screw up is denting Dean's car. This," he said, pointing at his back, "is NOT a screw up. This was attempted murder. But it's fine, isn't it? Because I'm a demon. Because I spent about three hundred or so years doing whatever the hell I wanted because I could It's fine because it didn't kill me. Is that it? I'm supposed to work it out, forgive and forget, maybe get him a stripper for his thirteenth birthday...because it didn't kill me? Just forget about the pain, the betrayal, forget it all, never happened. Just brush it by the wayside because he failed in his task?"

"It's a screw up ... fuck up... horrible screwed up messed up wrong thing to do. But he is a fucking kid. I'm not going to take him out and flog him for it. I'm sorry. I'm not going to cast him aside so that some other hunter out there can get hold of him and warp him even further. Would you have tossed Jack aside if you were in my place? If you didn't have that promise... would you have cast Jack aside for shooting a hunter with ... I don't know... something excruciatingly painful but not deadly?"

"I could stand here and argue semantics with you all day. Like the fact that Jack wouldn't have had access to a gun. He never did when he was twelve." Ben said. "But you know what, my mood is shot enough for one day. Do what you want, Sam. It's your family. I'm just the guy that raised your brother."

"For the last 16 years I have thought of you as part of the family. I don't want that to change." He had a sinking feeling it was going to. But how could he give up his son? He couldn't even get Ben to understand how he felt as a father.

"I've forgiven and over looked a lot." Ben said. "I paid for your brother's defense. I overlooked that the very fact of you two finding Jack put everyone in danger there for a while. Siccing Hendrickson on Kaylie. The whole Teneke Hsiao fiasco. I've even forgiven the reverse exorcism. Because that wasn't comfortable. Do you know what it takes to knock me out? Usually something on that level. I've dealt with Jack turning into a weekend hunter. I'm dealing with this showdown you have planned with the demon you've been hunting your whole life. I've even erased the bar tabs for you and Dean. And let me tell you, that was a serious chunk of change. I was the final gateway for you finding Jack in the first place. I could have said no, you can't meet him. To you, he doesn't exist. But sometimes..sometimes I'm too human for my own good. You want to save the world one orphan at a time, be my guest. Whatever makes you happy. I certainly can't say shit against the bond one forms with a child that's not biologically yours. I respect that. But when one of them wants me dead, and he won't stop, and accuses me of things like attacking people I actually kinda tolerate...I have to draw the line. I cannot sacrifice any more than I already have for this family. And if you can't see that, I don't know what to tell you."

"I never said you haven't given and forgiven a lot. You have. When you didn't have to. I want to straighten Simon out. I want him to come to understand that you are part of the family. But that won't do any good if you aren't willing to meet me half way. I'm not asking you to trust him or put yourself in harm's way again before I manage to get some sense into him about you. I wouldn't ask that of you or anyone else. I just... I want the chance to preserve things. For the same reason you have been so...giving and forgiving over the years. Because of Jack. Not that it's the only reason but it's a major one. "

"Is he going to be in restraints?" Ben asked flatly. And raised an eyebrow at Sam's confused look. "This all has to be decided now, because of the little hunt you three are going on. I'm the homefront defense. So I ask again, is he going to be in restraints?"

"W-we'll work out something." Sam said, hating the idea of restraints. "Where you won't be in any danger. I don't know what that is yet but it will be safe for you... but that isn't the only reason I am here, Ben. "

"Maybe. But that's why you're here now." Ben said. "I'm not an idiot, Sam. Never have been. And it's not me that's in danger. I said the next time he pulls something like that, I wouldn't stop. You know, the Inquisition was a very interesting time. First they went after the Jews and the Arabs. Then the witches and suspected demons or demonically possessed. Then their associates. Then their friends. Then anyone who could be considered a sympathizer. The only reason the hunting community hasn't done that is because they're poorly organized and not run by the Catholic Church. But Simon...he's messed up. In fact I'd even go so far to say that he's broken." He said, echoing Jack's own opinion as he went back to inventoring. "You think he's going to see the difference in it all? Honestly, Sam. Do you?"

Sam sighed. "I don't know." He said honestly. "I'm going to try and give him a chance to learn. " Sam could see that this wasn't going to work out easily, but it would be worse if he set back and let it take a natural slow course like his brothers wanted. "I'm going to tell him the truth about me. If he can't handle it... well I will see what I can do about getting him placed some where far away and with good people. I ... I have hope that he will be able to accept it eventually."

"I was broken. For a long time." Ben said. "Some really old buddies of mine joke that the original sociopathic profile was based on historic reports on me. Do you know how long it took for me to piece myself together? I'd say I wasn't done until I met my Abby. Do you know how old I was then already? I wish you luck, Sam. I really do."

"I know it may not be possible to put him back together, but what sort of father would I be if I didnt try?" Sam said. "But I want you to know I will do everything I can short of abandoning the kid to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Well, again, good luck with that. But if there's a chance I'm going to get shot again, or doused with holy water, or whatever else he comes up with, I don't want him near me. Me and pain don't get along. Makes me lose my temper. And you've never seen me lose it completely."

"I completely understand that." Sam said, and he did. Didn't make his life easy, but he understood it. "And I am sorry that it happened. I'll come see you later. I left Dean and Jack after a heated conversation. Should probably go and make amends."

"That will be the easiest thing you do all day." Ben said. "So go havea blast with it."

"Sad thing is I think you're right." Sam said then made his good byes and headed back to the garage the same way he had come. Couldn't take the entire day off after all.

"Wow, you came back." Dean said with a chuckle. "You all right?"

"Yeah... went... for a walk." He wasn't sure he wanted to tell his brother that it was on the other side of the planet. "Then I went to talk to Ben."

Dean looked at his brother closely. "Okay, no singe marks. That's a good sign." Dean said. "How'd it go other than that? Did you get us banned from the club?"

"No. He is still hot under the collar, and I think he feels put upon for everything he has done for us over the years, whether we asked him to or not, but I think if I can get Simon straightened out, it will smooth over."

"Well, at least we're ungrateful brats instead of scorched meat." Dean said with a shrug. "You think you can get him straightened out?" He reminded Dean, in attitude, of Gordon.

"I don't know." He said honestly. "But I am going to try, starting with telling him the truth about me. Hoping he can come to terms with the fact that people can't be blamed for their parentage."

"And barely parentage at that." Dean said. "That should go well. Need back up?"

Sam looked relieved. "Yeah, probably." He said. "This could go really badly, Dean. "

"I meant what I said earlier, Sammy. This family is not going to fall apart. We're not going to splinter and we're not going to fight amongst ourselves." Dean said, and he was positive of that. That either it would happen as due course, or he'd make it happen if he had to.

"He's my son, Dean. Maybe not by the same method as Mary is your daughter but just as surely my son." Sam said taking a seat on a stool. "I don't want to lose him. Not literally, and not like Dad lost me."

"Dad lost you because he wasn't exactly a great sharer of information that we really could have used, that we needed to know, long before he told us. Two cases in point. Him being possessed when you were conceived. And Jack's whole existance." Dean said. "Imagine how things could have gone differently if we'd known about either one of them long before we did."

"I know... it's part of the reason I am planning to tell Simon tonight aboutmy... what ever you want to call it." He told Dean. "I'm not looking forward to it."

"Neither am I. But we'll do this. Maybe he'll understand. And it'll be okay, and then we can get him to give a big fat apology to Ben. Up to Ben on whether he accepts it or not."

"When did you become an optimist?" Sam asked with a faint chuckle. He had no doubt that Simon would not understand. It would just be another strike against him in the boy's eyes. "Starting to understand why Dad just kept his mouth shut all the time."

"Oh yeah, because that worked out so well." Dean said. "You forget, I was the one standing in the middle of you two for years. Trust me, it didn't work out."

"Didn't say it worked out... just that I understand the impulse." He said and sighed getting to his feet. "Besides... we both know why Dad was always riding my ass. "

"Yeah, because you wouldn't fall into line." Dean said with a chuckle. "Always questioning, wanting explanations, that was the reason.""No... it was a symptom. It was because he was always trying to make me better... pound every ounce of responsibility and ... and ... ideology into my head as he could because he was afraid I would wind up like Maggie if there was even a hint of selfishness there. "

"Okay." Dean said. "Let's roll with that. Why wasn't I allowed to be selfish then? Nothing different about me."

"You are the eldest. You were the one stuck raising me most of the time. Couldn't have you setting a bad example." Sam stated. Which was why he had started fighting his father in the first place. Because Sam was the one that resented how John had treated Dean. How he blamed him for things.

"You know, Dad and I had a good relationship." Dean said with a shrug. Except for the secrets. And the pressure, that kinda sucked. And, sure, sometimes he felt more like a soldier than a son, and sometimes he was treated as such. And sometimes, at night, the demon's words echoed in his head.

_"Sam? He's clearly John's favorite. Even when they fight, it's more concern than he's ever shown you."_

But most of the time he was able to bury it. Though it clearly influenced how he raised his own kids, especially with the recent addition of Tessa.

"Yeah... right." Sam said, not believing that one. "Don't get me wrong. I loved Dad, and I know he loved us, and he did what he had to do, and did it to the best of his ability. I came to peace with Dad and all that long ago. It's just... he was a hunter to the core, and I think Simon is going to be the same way... Kevin... he is learning to look before he hunts. I don't know about Simon... the wounds go too deep... he's broken like Dad was."

"But we had some good times." Dean protested. "Remember that Christmas when we were stranded in the storm at that motel? That was a good one. When I remember Dad, outside of hunting, that's who I like to remember." Even if it was a prime example of Dad doing what he had to do to protect his boys.

"Yeah, I remember that one. One of the few we actually spent together. " Sam said with a nod. "Like I said ... I know Dad loved us... it's just... We could never fix Dad... no one could ever fix Dad, and I am afraid that I won't be able to help Simon either."

"Look, Dad was able to function. And he didn't try to kill Ben, to the best of my knowledge. So maybe you don't need to fix Simon. Maybe you just need to patch him up." Dean offered.

"I hope so..." he said, having his doubts. But then Sam had always had doubts. "So, what did you leave me to work on?" He asked, having beaten that particular horse enough for one day.

"Well, there's the Volvo still. And your girlfriend's car if you're feeling particularly ambitious." Dean said with a grin."That's not ambition. That's Moby Dick and my name isn't Ahab." Sam said as he looked at the car with something akin to loathing. "The volvo it is." He said and went back to work on the box shaped car.spnspnspnspnRosie was waiting outside the school, engine revved and ready to go. She had been watching for days, she knew the schedule. Knew that Mary Winchester and her cousin Kevin left the school everyday for lunch at the local burger place across the street rather than driving to the fast food places with the rest of those allowed off campus lunches. It wasn't long before the two of them neared the cross walk, and she anticipated having her targets soon in her sites. "Kevin!" Simon called out. "Don't go today..."Mary looked at her cousin. "It's okay if you need to hang with Simon today, I understand.""I'll catch up with you. Order me a bacon cheese burger with cheese fries. I'm gonna go see what's up.""Sure, but you're paying me back." Mary told him as she started to cross the street, never once seeing the car coming before it slammed into her.

Simon screamed as he saw the car plow into Mary. Not even stopping as Mary was dragged a bit, and finally thrown. No skid marks, just burning rubber as it sped off. He hadn't seen Mary...just Kevin...he liked Mary. Why wouldn't he have seen Mary?

"Oh my god!" People were yelling as they gathered around. The only good that came of that was that they effectively blocked traffic from causing anymore damage. Numerous hysterical teenagers got on their cell phones and started calling 911.

Kevin gathered up his brother and figuring the others were calling 911, he dialed his father'scell phone. No way he was going to be the one to deliver this news to his uncle Dean himself. Better that his Dad do it. He would know how to calm him down. Sam sighed and reached for his cell phone. "Yeah." He said into it then paused as Kevin relayed the facts. "Stay with her. We're on our way." There was no doubt which hospital his niece would be taken to. He and Dean would meet the ambulance there. He hung up and went to his brother. "Dean." He said in an urgent tone, then explained what Kevin had told him as gently as possible.

Dean paled. There was no easy or gentle way to break that news. And he nearly lost his footing, blindly reaching for the keys to the Impala. "Let's go." He said tightly. She was fine. She had to be fine. There was no other option.

Sam pried the keys out of his brother's hand as they walked and to the car. "Passenger's seat." He said, not taking no for an answer. Dean was in no condition to drive and he didn't have to. They arrived at the hospital just as the ambulance was pulling up to the emergency entrance.

Dean launched himself out of the Impala before Sam had even come to complete stop, opening the door of the ambulance himself as another paramedic tried in vain to get him out of the way. Dean wasn't going to impede them getting into the ER in any way, but he also was not going to be brushed aside. "How is she? Someone tell me how she is? What the hell happened? Mary, Mary...Daddy's here. Someone talk!"Kevin and Simon came out of the ambulance after the gurney in time to hear the paramedic'sresponse. "It's hard to say right now. We need to get her into the doctor, please stand aside, you'll know what's going on the moment they have anything to tell you." He was told, and Kevin came up to Dean and grabbed his arm to get his attention

"It was on purpose." He said drawing his attention away from the poor innocent medic.

"What?" Dean said. "Someone hit her and kept going?" He was so used to blaming the Yellow Eyed Demon for everything, initially he was sure the demon was behind it. But he knew that was irrational, right? "Tell me what happened." He said as they followed the gurney into the ER, where it was swarmed by doctors and nurses as Kevin ran down the events as best he knew. His back was turned for half of it, it had happened that fast.

"Sir, we need you to step outside." The doctor said from Mary's bedside.

"Like hell." Dean said. He'd been dragged from Chavi's side, he wasn't leaving Mary. And good luck to anyone that tried.

The emergency room doctors remembered the Winchesters from Dean's visits and motioned for them to go ahead and let him into the room as there would really be no keeping him out.

"You have to stay out of the way. We are going to do everything we can for your daughter but you have to let us do our job." He said as they moved her from the gurney onto the examination table.

Dean nodded and stayed out of the way as best he could. "Sam...call Jack. Have him pick Tessa up from school and bring her here. Let Bobby know what's going on." Because if the worst happened, what he couldn't even think about, it would be safer for all concerned if he wasn't alone. Sam slipped out of the room, and to a location designated for cell phone use. He called Jack first, to arrange for Tessa to be taken care of, there was no worry between either brother about what had happened earlier. Dean needed them both, so everything else was pushed to the side. Next was Bobby, who promised to be there as soon as possible. He checked on his boys before going back in to his brother's side. He had a feeling that the doctor had waited for his return to break the news to Dean. "Your daughter has a skull fracture, several broken ribs. There has been damage to her spleen, and it needs to be removed. Which means surgery. We need you to sign the consent forms so that we can take her up to the OR. Once that is under way I can answer any questions you might have. "

Dean nodded mutely, freckles standing in stark relief to his pale face, making him look even younger than Jack as he signed the consent forms. He managed to touch his daughter's bruised hand as she wheeled to the OR.

"Kevin said the car didn't stop. It gunned for her." Dean whispered to Sam. "Someone tried to kill my daughter."

"We'll keep her safe... we'll figure out who did this." Sam said in an equally hushed tone. Heknew that there would be nothing the police could do. This was targeted at his brother. The demon knew... and the war was beginning already.

Dean let Sam lead him to the waiting room, there was nothing he could do right now. And sat mutely in a chair and buried his face in his hands as Ben and Bobby came in. Bobby couldn't drive anymore (much to his consernation, though he was willing to hotwire a car to get here in this instance), so Ben had picked him up, surprisingly, in a car. And the aged hunter put his hand silently on Dean's shoulder.

"How is she?" He asked Sam.

Sam gave him the run down on her condition. "We're waiting for her to come out of surgery now." He looked up at Ben, grateful the man had chosen to come, knowing what it would mean to Dean. He gave Simon a warning glance and Kevin put his hand on his younger brother's shoulder.

Ben didn't acknowledge Simon's presence as he went and sat across from Dean. "Jack will be here. He's getting Tessa settled with Abby." Ben said. He knew once they knew exactly what her condition was, then would be the decision on whether or not Tessa should come. Hospitals were scary for little kids after all.

"You know, there's a waiting room just like this one, I even think they have the same crappy paintings on the wall, in labor and delivery." Dean said.

"You aren't going to lose Mary." Sam said, looking over at his brother, knowing what had brought that thought to his mind.

Dean just shook his head. He was in limbo right now, knowing his daughter was on an operating table, and surgeons were right now removing an organ that had been perfectly fine this morning.

Simon looked at Kevin. "It needs to leave." He whispered. Meaning Ben.Kevin grabbed his brother's arm and led him down the hall away from the others. "Dean wants him here. You gotta lighten up about that. I get it. I do. But there isn't anything we can do about it right now."

Simon looked up at Kevin. "I saw the car mow you down and I stopped you from going across the street. I didn't...I didn't see Mary or I would have stopped her too." He whispered urgently. "And I saw that that demon is a danger, and it gets to stick around us? Dean doesn't know what he wants right now."

"Dean knows very clearly what he wants right now." Kevin said. "And I wouldn't want to be the one getting between him and what he wants." He added very sagely for one so young. "And... thanks...by the way...for calling me back." He didn't know why the vision didn't include Mary, maybe his visions only included close family. "Later on we'll talk to Dad about your visions. How long have you been having them?"

"I started getting them before my real parents were killed. I saw them killed. Thought it was a dream, and then it happened." Simon said. "Which is why everyone has to listen to me. I'm not lying or trying to cause trouble, though I don't trust him at all."

"I never said you had to trust him, but right now, they aren't going to listen without proof and we aren't going to get that proof by getting them all riled up and defensive." Kevin said. "And even if they did believe you... we don't know how to stop him anyway."

Simon nodded, unfortunately Kevin was right. "Is Mary going to be okay?" He asked, sounding as young as he really was. And scared. Even as new as he was to the family, he knew if Mary wasn't all right, then Dean would fall apart. Followed by the rest of the family, as if he was the center all the rest of them were connected to, like spokes in a wheel.

"I don't know." He said, honestly. He wanted to tell the kid definitely their cousin would bebetter. He thought of Mary as almost a sister really. But he didn't think he would be doing the kid any favors by giving him false hope. They lived in a world that made mince meat of hope in short order. "But either way, we have to figure out who it was that ran her down. Cause they aren't gonna be leaving her bedside until it's done one way or the other, which leaves us."

"Okay." Simon said, nodding. "We'll figure this out for them. They have enough to worry about." He said. "The car was blue, I remember that. It was blue, and it was a little car."

"Okay... " Kevin said as he led the way over to the nearest bench. "How about the driver? Was it a man or a woman?" He asked, figuring if he asked enough questions and made Simon think about it hard enough there might be more information buried there in his mind.

"It was...it was a girl. She didn't look very old." Simon said. "I think she had dark hair, I don't know." He was trying, but visions were tricky things. They didn't give you all the information you wanted.

"Okay... that's a start, you're doing great. Didn't look too old. My age or a little older?" He asked. He figured once they left the hospital they would go find look up little cars on the internet to figure out what kind of car it was. Although he did have to wonder if he should be on the look out for little blue cars himself.

"Yeah, I think so. I didn't get that good a look at her either time." In the vision or when she was actually running Mary over. "Um, yeah, dark hair, not that old, blue car, little car..." He wanted to help so badly.

"Okay... you're doing great." Kevin said, it was minimal information, but he was trying so hard that Kevin figured he needed the reassurance. "Okay did you see the bumper, or the back end of the car at all?"

Simon thought, his brow scrunching up with the effort before his shoulders finally slumped. "No." He said quietly.

Ben came around the corner, twirling an unlit cigarette between his fingers. For some odd reason, they frowned upon smoking in hospitals now. "Let's go you two." He said. "Take me to where it happened...exactly."

Simon looked up warily, and cast a look to Kevin who nodded so the boy stood, reluctantly willing to go with the demon. Even though he would rather be pulling teeth.

Ben grimaced, this wasn't exactly a good time for him either. But he loaded the boys into his car and drove to the school. "Okay, walk me through this step by step." He said after he parked, getting out and lighting a cigarette as he looked around.

"Mary and I are allowed off campus lunch. We always go to the burger place across the street." Kevin said. "But I had a vision that Kevin was hit by the car and I called him back ... I didn't see Mary in the vision just Kevin... and when he stepped toward me to see what was going on, the car just... it sped up and ran her down and didn't stop. Didn't even slow down after wards."

Ben just nodded and walked the scene. He knew the police had already been there taking their pictures, as useless as they were going to be. He found the place where Mary had finally landed easily enough, the pool of blood was still there. Grimacing at that, he burned it away with a wave of his hand. He shook his head and stood back up. "Let's get back." He said, looking around. "Might be pulling you guys out of school for a while."

"Why? What did you find out?" Kevin asked frowning deeply as he made his way to the car, pulling Simon along behind him. "Did you see something?"

Ben laughed humorlessly as he got back behind the wheel. He turned around in the car toward Simon. "You think I'm bad and evil and dangerous? You don't know shit. What got that girl to run Mary down like a racoon...he's worse than anything you've ever had a nightmare about." He said as he turned back around to drive back toward the hospital. Dean and Sam had their suspicions. Ben had the proof. He'd felt that presence there at the scene. Kind of like an echo that was left behind.

"It was the yellow eyed demon, wasn't it?" Kevin said quietly. "Do you think she was possessed?" He asked, not wanting to ask the question that crossed his mind for it seemed selfish to him. Was the thing going to come back to try and kill him next? After all it had been him in Simon's vision not Mary. Had he been the target all along and Mary had taken the hit for him?

"Yeah, it was. And no I don't think she was possessed." Ben said, shaking his head. "Which means all of you are in danger because this thing will go through you guys to get to Sam. And Dean. Probably Jack to get to the former two." Sam and Dean might yell at him later, but Ben wasn't one for pulling punches or softening the truth to make it more palatable.

Kevin nodded. "Yeah I know. Dad told me about what he did to their mom and his first fiancee." He frowned tightly and looked over at Simon, who was simply processing it all.

"But you kids are in luck." Ben said with a shrug as he ashed his cigarette out the window as he drove. "Even he can't kill me." He said and threw a wry grin at Simon. "Which is why you never stood a chance at doing anything else than pissing me the fuck off."

Simon had the decency to look ashamed in that moment. He still didn't know how to deal with all of this. "I saw it coming for Kevin... what if she tries again... the vision might not have been about today... cause I didn't see Mary in it at all."

"Which is why you kids are staying close to home until this is done." Ben said. Sure, it was a decision that should be left up to their parents, but, well, in some ways, Ben was nearly an honorary grandfather of some of them.

Simon bristled a little, but just nodded. He knew it was probably the intelligent thing to do and their family wouldn't argue with the demon about it when he was right, but it still bothered him. This demon making decisions about him.

Ben returned them to the hospital and went back up to the waiting room, where everyone was still...well...waiting. "Sam? Need a word." He said, his tone booking no argument that this might not be the best time. He knew better than to tell Dean. The man was barely holding it together. Tell him about a connection to his chief nemesis, and he might fall apart all together.

Sam excused himself, Bobby moved in to fill the vacancy left at Deans side. "What is it?" He asked as soon as they were a little down the hall way.

"I took the boys to the scene, had them walk me through it." Ben said quietly, in case there were ears around. "Look, every demon leaves a signature, even me. An echo of sorts. The yellow eyed demon? He was there. He wasn't in the car, but he was there. I hate to point it out, but the next generation of kids...they're coming of age right about now, aren't they?"

"Yeah... they are" Sam said with a sigh. "They are just a few years older than Mary. About 3 actually. We're gonna have to start keeping a closer eye on the kids. "

"You think?" Ben said. "Pull them out of school until this is over. Use Mary as a family emergency excuse. Because this might not have been what Simon saw. He could have seen a whole separate attack on Kevin."

Sam paled a little at that, but nodded. "Thanks Ben...I am gonna make a couple calls. The hospital might get a little uncomfortable for you soon. I want to make sure it can't get in here to her. " A little uncomfortable to Ben would be torment for the yellow eyed demon.

"Uncomfortable? Uncomfortable was a car ride with your latest brat." Ben said. "I can handle all that religious stuff, don't worry." He'd survived Sam's reverse exorcism after all.

"He didn't get out of hand again did he?" Sam asked. He worried that this was irreparable. That Simon was irreparable. He hated that this was all coming to a head now that there wasn't time to gently deal with these issues as Jack wanted them to.

"He was fine. Nice and quiet. Guess I should expect that, he did see Mary get run over like a squirrel. Humans are so fragile." He said, looking down the hallway. "But I doubt he's going to try to kill me again." Having it pointed out that if a fallen couldn't kill Ben, Simon didn't stand a chance...now that helped.

"Good." Sam said, it was one worry off his mind. "I'll keep working on his attitude." He told his friend. "I need to make those calls." He ran a hand through his hair. Humans were fragile indeed. His family was paying for his mistakes again. It was all coming home to roost. "I'll be back in a few minutes." He walked a little further down the hall and took out his cell phone to call his contact within the church hierarchy.

Ben nodded and returned to the waiting room. "Where's Sam?" Dean asked.

"He had to take care of something." Ben said as he sat across from the man. "No news?"

"No news." Dean said. "I'm this close to breaking into the OR myself to find out what's happening. I can't take this...this waiting."

"I know." Bobby said, laying a comforting hand on Dean's shoulder. "She's a Winchester. You folk don't go down easy. She'll come through it."

"And what if?" Dean said as he stared at his shoes. "I understand Dad now." He said. On why John had made that deal. He had always thought, honestly thought, that deep down it was because of Sam. Because Dean was the only one, in John's estimation, who could save him, or possibly do the unthinkable if it came to that. And maybe that played a part in it.

But now, Dean understood. He truly did. If he was offered a deal, no matter the price, so Mary would be fine...he'd take it in a heart beat.

"Yeah well, understanding his reasoning doesn't make repeating his deeds a good idea." Bobby said firmly. Tessa would still need him even if Mary passedaway. But he didn't think she would. At his age, Bobby thought he could just about feel death when he came around. Kept expecting him to knock at his own door soon.

Dean just shook his head. There was something just so unnatural about the possibility of burying your child. He couldn't fathom it, even as he faced the possibility. It just wasn't natural. He ran his hands through his hair and stood up. "I'm going to find out what's going on down there." He said.Sam was finishing up his phone calls, when Dean stepped out of the waiting room. "You holding up?" He asked, knowing better than to ask if he were okay. There was no way he could be. Sam hadn't had a child in that position but he had nearly lost Dean far too many times to not knowat least a portion of what he was feeling.

"No, I'm not." Dean said as he headed toward the operating room. "No one's telling me shit, and I'm more than a little worried. I'm freaked out. What was Ben whispering to you about?"

"He went with the boys to the site." He said knowing that Dean would sense a lie and in his condition freak out more. "Simon was well behaved this time. I think we are coming to an understanding." He said. "Dean, you can't go in there... and you know it."

Dean looked at his brother. "It was the fucking demon, wasn't it? It's connected to this whole mess. Someone has to go protect Mary. She's pretty much defenseless, don't you think? I can't leave her in there. The damn doctor could be possessed for all I know."

"I just took care of it." Sam said. "Catholic hospital remember... and it wasn't the demon so much as one of the next generation of kids. The doctor is your age... we're good."

"Good? This is not good. This is very very bad. Very very very bad." Dean said. "Maybe if I loiter outside long enough and peek through the window maybe someone will talk to me." It was the no news that was killing him. Because his mind was already going to worse case scenario mode.

Sam relaxed now that Dean wasnt threatening to go into a sterile area where Mary lay open on the operating table. He stayed close to his brother, double checking periodically if the defenses were up. He relaxed visibly as a priest walked by and gave a seemingly casual nod in Sam's direction. It was done. The operating room doors opened a few minutes later and the doctor walked out. "Mr. Winchester."

"Christo." Dean said. The doctor didn't flinch, nothing changed, and Dean felt a tiny bit better at that. "How is she? What's going on? When I can see her?" He asked in one breath.

"We removed your daughter's spleen. Repaired the internal bleeding we found. It was more extensive than we thought, but we got it. Her ribs are broken, but nothing was punctured. We found a broken vertebra, but the spinal cord is intact. The skull fracture is closed, we don't anticipate any brain damage. Your daughter is a very lucky girl." The doctor said. "We're taking her to recovery, then the ICU at least over night. We'll give her antibiotics and blood transfusions. It will be a long recovery, but we expect a full recovery."

Dean exhaled. Felt like the first time he'd exhaled since he'd heard about the accident. And had to stiffen up each and every muscle so he wouldn't shake. "Thank you." He said.

"You can go in to see her when she is out of recovery." He told the worried father, with an understanding smile. He didn't want him in recovery incase they had to rush her back into surgery. He doubted they would be able to pry the man away from his daughter if that happened.

Dean nodded and numbly walked back to the waiting room, knowing his brother was behind him anyway. He figured Jack was picking up some booze for Ben, since he was now in a nice Catholic hell. But to the demon's credit, there was only a trace of a grimace on his face, though he was careful not to touch anything more than necessary. He repeated what the doctor told him, word for word.

"So I have a feeling they're keeping me out of recovery." He said.

"I'm pretty sure thats standard." Bobby said. "After all she won't be the only one in there, realistically." He also figured it was just in case they missed a leak in there. The last thing they needed was an hysterical father to deal with on top of that emergency.

Dean shook his head. "I think it's ridiculous. How you holding up there, Ben?" Dean asked. Ben smiled tightly.

"Just peachy." He replied. It was...uncomfortable, certainly. But he'd wait it out until they knew Mary was okay.

Jack entered the waiting room, handing off a silver flask to Ben. "Tessa is playing with Abby. I haven't told her anything yet. Figured we could wait until we know what the prognosis was first."

"Good idea." Ben said as he drank from the flask, letting it brace him a bit.

Dean told him what the doctor told Dean and Sam. "Which means we're back to waiting. And that yellow eyed bastard was behind it. I know you've been against truly fortifying your house, but I think its time to reconsider it." He said seriously. "We can do the same thing we've done to ours, make little places where you can break it so Ben can get in and out, but dude, it's time."

Jack frowned but nodded. "No way to make it so that Ben can just come and go and no other demon can?" He asked.

"I'll look into it." Bobby said from his seat. "There might be, no promises, but I'll look into it and see what I can find."

"Would be appreciated. I'm their most reliable babysitter they've found so far." Ben said with a grin. "Even if my threats to let the kids burn down the house are real."

"You aren't going to let my kids burn the house down, because if you did, you would have to replace the house and everything in it." Jack pointed out.

"Okay good point." Ben said.

"Jack, can you get into recovery?" Dean asked. "They won't let me back there, afraid I'll flip out or something. But you'rea paramedic and all..."

"I'll try." He said. "Can't promise anything. But I will see what I can do." He knew that Dean was going to flip out one way or the other. There was no avoiding that. He was holding it together on sheer will power alone as it was.

"If she wakes up, I don't want her to be alone." Dean said. "She should have someone there she knows when she wakes up. She's probably terrified."

"Dean... chances are she doesn't even realize she has been hurt yet. She very likely won't have any memory of anything today." Jack reassured him. "But I will go see if I can look in on her. "

"Then that's even worse!" Dean said, frightened for his child. "She won't know where she is or why she's there." He said as Bobby put a hand on his arm. He took a deep breath. "Thanks for looking into it, Jack." He said.

Jack knew the girl would be too groggy to do much worrying about anything. But if he didn't at least go and make an attempt, his brother would blow a gasket. He slipped quietly into the recovery unit and looked for his niece.

Mary was fighting her way back to consciousness. Hard, with the drugs. And everything else. But by the time Jack found her, she looked up at him with foggy eyes. "Uncle Jack?" She whispered. "Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital." He told her gently. "Do you remember anything that happened?" In some ways he hoped that she wouldn't. It would be a lot of pain and fear involved in the memories. He knew... all too well he knew because he remembered his own injuries from a much younger age.

"No." She said and licked her dry lips with an even drier tongue. She didn't even remember what she had for dinner the night before. Then she looked up at her uncle desperately. "Don't tell Dad. Please don't tell Dad. He'll freak, and he'll worry, don't tell him."

"Honey," he said laying a hand gently on hers, "you've just had surgery. He is out in the waiting room. He already knows, and yes, he's worried but he will be much better when he finds out you are awake and talking."

"And the hospital just got rid of him..." She said as she fell back asleep. A nurse came over and took her vitals and checked her IVs.

"She's still under some anesthesia." She said. "I was suprised she woke up for as long as she did."

"So am I. Long enough to worry about her dad." He said with a small smile. "They are really close. Do you think at this point there is anything to worry about? It would do my brother a lot of good to be able to come in to see she is... well... breathing even if not alright."

"The next thirty six hours are critical." The nurse said, looking at the chart. "But if you take responsibility for him, and pull him back if something does happen, then I don't see the harm."

"Thank you..." He said figuring he should bring Sam in as well, cause it might take them both to get Dean under control if it got hairy. "We'll be right back." He hurried back to the waiting room and motioned to his brothers. "You can see her for a couple minutes. She woke up for a moment, and went back to sleep, so don't expect much in the way of response from her. "

That's all that Dean needed to hear. He didn't even hear the rest of it, really. Oh he expected her to be out. That wasn't the surprise. But he went right past his brother and onto the recovery room.

His daughter looked entirely too small and much too fragile on the stretcher. Her head was swathed in bandages, a few tendrils of curls peeking out. She was bruised, scraped, and ointment glistened on a few awful examples of road rash on her arms. And that's just what Dean could see, that and the tubes coming in and out of his daughter's body. But he steeled himself and pulled up a chair, carefully, very carefully taking her hand.

Jack and Sam followed Dean and pulled up a couple of stools giving him room. Jack figured it was okay for the time being. He kept an eye on the machines that monitored her vitals regularly.

"I want that demon on a spit." Dean said darkly, but softly. "I've had enough of all of this. Who else does he need to go after before we do something? How soon can we get this together? Because I want him dead."

"Soon if you think we are up to it." Sam said quietly. "I ahm... have been working on my old tricks so... there is that taken care of." Dean had asked after all.

"I'm up to it. Never been more up to it." Dean said. The demonic bastard had just tried to take the one person in the world who was irrefutable proof that Dean had done something half way right in his life. Yet another one who hadn't asked to be involved in this war. He smoothed the hair on the top of his daughter's head with a gentle hand as he looked at his brothers with eyes that were in no way gentle or loving. "Good." He said, about Sam and his abilities. "Jack, you do your part, and I'll find out what the hell is up with me. Once Mary's out of the hospital, we do this."

His brothers nodded in unison. They had a lot of work to do in order to prepare themselves and their families. at least the families would be safe. Ben could take care of them. Jack just hoped that it wasnt a permanent situation.


	6. Chapter 6

Mary was in the hospital for a month. A month that Dean didn't dare relax or anything. Barely breathing. Always watching. Once Mary was stabilized, Tessa had started spending a great deal of time there also. Getting a leg up on researching. Even if she never became a hunter, she needed to know how to find different things, find information. Information was often the best protection.

Once Mary was able to stay awake for longer periods, she helped. She enjoyed the research part, and spent hours on the phone with Bobby, who was at home, discussing different points of research and theories. All coming down to Dean.

Bobby had suggested he meditate on it. Good in theory, except for the fact that Dean couldn't sit still that long. He never could. So that was out. Ben suggested getting him drunk and drugging him into a hypnotic state. Also a no go.

He'd also proven to be a bigger pain in the ass to the staff when he was merely a frustrated worried father, instead of a nearly incapacitated overly stubborn patient. He believed they threw a party when Mary was finally discharged.

He got Mary settled in her room, and Tessa was reading a book with her. Bobby was pouring over his own books and papers. Dean grabbed a beer and sat out on his deck and looked up at the clear, star filledTexas sky.

"Dad, what the hell did you do to me?" He asked the wind.

"You know the answer to that, Boy." The wind seemed to answer softly, in the bear's voice.

Dean shook his head and sighed. "Yeah, figured as much." He said as he finished his beer and went back inside. "I figured it out, Bobby." He said as he leaned against the doorframe of the old man's study. "Just kinda wish when Dad spilled his guts before he died, he woulda spilled this too."

Bobby looked up. "What did you figure out?" He asked frowning slightly. Anything John kept secret usually wound up being pretty life altering for his boys.

"Besides bind me way too young to a spirit guide?" Dean said with a laugh and grabbing two beers, handing one to Bobby as he sat down. "Bound me to a supercharged spirit guide who for some odd reason really likes me."

"So that's why old Amos wanted his hide... you think this spirit is gonna help us out with this battle or is there something else?"

"Well. I've come to the realization over the last twenty years that I'm incredibly hard to kill. I shouldn't be. By all rights, that demon should have killed me in the cabin. Easily, like stepping on a grasshopper. No easier way to break Sam than to make him watch his brother die at the hands of his possessed father, right? Even then, the bastard couldn't kill me. Chicago, they went a little far. The doctors said I should have been DOA. But I wasn't. Unconscious, but I was alive, barely but I was. Not saying I'm invincible, did have that whole heart failure thing, even if I did make even that look good. But every time the demon has tried to off me, hasn't worked."

"Suppose it makes sense... this spirit of yours is protecting you from the demon. That alone would make your father jump at the chance to bind you to one."

"Gets better." Dean said. "According to Ben, Sam and I crossed a demon wasteland even demons won't cross. Sam got us through, I got the water or something like that. Sounds incredibly lame when I say it, and maybe it's a good thing I don't remember it. Then Maggie kidnaps me and tries to bleed me dry. Her dad tries the same thing. Wasn't completely because I'm just irresistibly handsome you know. Blood is life, life is blood, and I apparently have more than my fair share coursing through. So what do you have on blood rites?"

"A lot actually. Look over there- no not there, In between the boxes over there and the shelf is a pile of books. There should be a couple there and a few over on the other side of the room, 3rd stack on the fourth shelf."

"Some might say you need a new hobby." Dean said as he fetched the indicated books. He sat down with the box and started leafing through them, not sure what he was looking for really. "This ends, Bobby." He said quietly, in case one of the girls were coming down for a drink. "I don't care what it takes, this has to end."

"Easier said than done. But I think we can pull it off. The hard part is going to be the location. Can't exactly go and grab him and toss him in the garage pit."

"I think he'll pick the location." Dean said. "There has to be a reason he keeps choosing children. I just can't see it for the forest right now."

"He needs a nephilim for some reason. Figure out what they can do that he and his minions can't and we may have it figured out."

"Well, they're still human. They can cross salt." He remembered Maggie entering their hotel room so long ago. "And brick. Iron. They can enter holy ground. Might be painful, but they can." Dean said, thinking, remembering Meg killing Pastor Jim in his own church. And that was after the demon possessing the girl had crossed over into full shadowy evil. "That leaves a lot wide open."

"Then we need to figure out what he has his sights on that is protected by things he can't cross." Bobby said. "Cause that's the only thing I figure makes any sense. He needs something he can't get to."

Dean shook his head. "My head hurts." He said as he grabbed the phone and called Sam. "Hey, Bobby and I were talking, we think we've got a lead."

"Oh yeah?" He asked as he handed Rachel a bottle ofsoda from the fridge. "The kind I need to come over for, or something we can hash out on the phone."

"You're fine." Dean said. "Just need to pick your brain. What does the demon want that he can't get? Besides you. There's something somewhere that's in a place he can't cross. Any ideas? It's the best theory we've come up with so far."

Sam made a hmmming noise and went to sit down on the sofa. "I don't know... something protected on holy ground...Might need to start researching legends of things protected on holy ground or set up to be demon proof. He has been at this for several generations. So it's been there a while. Chances are there are a lot of stories about what ever it is. "

"And at least it's nicely narrowed down to America." Dean said. "I mean, why else would he target American kids, right? Okay, so we go back to folklore and see what we find. Should be something in old hunter tales.""Probably so." Sam said. "Bobby was saying that you slowed him down when you took out that hell gate in Kansas... wonder if it's another gate?" He suggested.

"Possibility. I'll look for the signs for that. Think Ben's ready to babysit everyone?" Dean asked. "It'll have to be done here...Mary's still too sore to be traveling from house to house." He knew how long ribs could remain sore. Boy, did he know.

"I think so. Neither he nor Simon will like it but it appears that they have come to an understanding. Mostly an understanding that Simon can't do a damned thing to him and it makes more trouble than he wants to deal with. But I will talk to him tomorrow and make sure."

"Good." Dean said. "I'll start setting things up here." More beds for example. "Jack is really not going to like this." He said. Kaylie was going into her eighth month after all.

"Yeah I know, but he would like it even less if the next target of our hit and run driver was Mark or Kaylie." Sam said with a sigh. "Although I think the yellow eyed bastard might like that even less. Ben would take that one personally."

"Oh he'd definitely take that one personally. And all bets are off if anything happens to Abby." Dean said. As the only girl on the Hsiao side, and his deceased wife's namesake, Abby was definitely held special to Ben, even if the boys weren't shorted. "Okay, so swing by tomorrow, we'll figure more of this out. Bring Jack along too."

"Will do. Give Mary my love. I'll see you then." He said and hung up the phone, letting out a long low sigh. He wasn't looking forward to this. Part of him was dreading it.

Rachel sat down on the couch next to him. "More plans?" She asked. Every time it was so much as referred to, he got that look on his face.

Sam nodded. "More riddles, more uncertainty." He said with a sigh. "Trying to sort out what he needs Nephilim for. The only thing we can come up with is to get past defenses that he can't. "

"Well, it makes sense." Rachel said as she curled her legs under herself, facing him, leaning on the back of the couch. "I mean, why else would he deal with humans? Especially if he's been at this for generations with really no pay off yet?"

"Which means there is a reason he keeps failing. I suppose I'm not that unusual really... resisting and all. Not everyone is going to line up to become a pillar of smoke one day."

"And humans, we have that whole free will thing." Rachel said with a smile. "We certainly don't want some demon who thinks he's better than us telling us what to do. Might play a part in it too."

"It might. Nephilim have free will too... but it gets clouded so easily." He said with a sigh. "Most people would break I think... too sharp a change from their every day world. They either convince themselves that they imagined whatever they saw, or it twists something inside to come face to face with a demon with no preamble. It twisted Dad... most hunters are twisted really. Dean and I ... we grew up with it. Don't know if that makes it easier for us, or makes us more twisted. But I think that it's part of why the Nephilim handle it ... we have no choice. We're not just witnessing it... we're part of it."

"Either way, it's something to think about. Free will. He can't trap you, every choice is yours and yours alone, even if you feel trapped." Rachel said. "So this is happening soon then?"

Sam nodded. "The attack on Mary was the last straw. We can't give him time to attack anyone else. It has to end. This has been going on my whole life... It's got to end."

"This is a really bad time." Rachel said, looking up at the ceiling. This was a really really bad time. This was not going to go over well. "I'm pregnant."

Sam looked at her at first in shock. Then in joy, a smile spreading across his face. "When are ... how far along are you?" He asked pulling her into his arms. It was bad timing to be pregnant, but... she was pregnant... she was carrying his child, their child.

"Two and a half months." Rachel said. Okay, so it did go over well. Good. Made things easier in the long run.

"It will be okay... when this happens, Ben will be watching over all of you. Nothing will get to you... and once it's done, we can raise our children without the yellow eyed demon hanging over our heads."

"What about Simon and his vision?" Rachel asked worriedly. "He was right about the car, for the most part." Sure it had hit Mary and not Kevin.

"I know... I worry about that too, but... it seems so unlikely that Ben would do any such thing. He got the victim wrong in his vision with the car... I can't help but wonder if it was a different demon in his vision about Ben."

"It's possible. He knows Kevin, therefore the victim would be Kevin in a vision he had. He knows Ben, knows he's a demon, it's possible that he's superimposing Ben onto another demon. He is so young." Rachel pointed out. "Can't expect him to have mature visions."

"But it's hard to explain that to him without him thinking we are discounting his ability." Sam said with a sigh."It's also hard to explain that to Ben with out him thinking we are discounting his pain."

"And Ben does get rather pissy rather fast." Rachel said. She would have thought someone his age would have a better hold on his temper than what he had displayed. "I'll keep those two seperated."

"Well, he has his own issues that Simon triggered pretty hard core. " Sam said. "Thank you for keeping them apart. Kevin can help in that right as well... wow... we're having a baby." He said, the dopey grin returning to his face.

"Knew I could distract you for a tiny bit." She said with a grin. Because right now, there was nothing to do really. So distraction was good, because dwelling only made things worse. "Yes, we are. I haven't told Simon or Kevin yet."

"We'll tell them in the morning at breakfast. They should find out before I tell Dean and Jack... and you know I wont be able to keep it secret once I see them"

Rachel laughed. "Dean will just grin and offer to buy you more alcohol, while Jack will tease you about attempting to catch up to him." She said. She had them figured out for the most part.

"Kaylie will laugh and say I didn't get to get out of diapers and potty training after all." Sam added laughing as well.

"Like you got out of diapers with Mary, or the rest of them." Rachel said with a laugh as she leaned herself against him. "Everything's going to be all right. I can feel it."

"I think so too." Sam said. "Things are finally truly looking up.So... you think we are having a girl or another boy?"

"I don't know, anyone know what Kaylie is having? She's the tie breaker after all." Rachel teased. Dean had fathered a girl, Jack two boys and a girl. Until the latest one was born, it was an even score. "Then I'll know which way the Winchester genes lean."

Sam laughed. "It would be good to have a girl." He said, he had his boys. True he had missed out on the early years, adopting them later in life. But they were his none the less.

Rachel chuckled. "Your request is duly noted, though you know, gender lies with the male. So...you should have given your guys a pep talk or something." She said with a laugh. "Now, guys, only you Xs get to swim. All you Ys, get lost."

"Well... last time we talked your girls weren't coming to the pool for a while, so I didn't figure they needed the pep talk. Not that I'm complaining or anything."

She chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I skipped a pill." She'd been on the pill for ages, to regulate her periods. But with Dean in the hospital, the adoption, the whole thing with Ben and Simon...it was possible she had skipped one or two in the midst of everything.

"And girls will be girls. Snuck out the the first time the doors weren't locked." He said with a laugh. "Well at least this happened after we had decided to get married. Wonder how the boys will take the news they are sharing a room after all?"

"I was thinking, actually." Rachel said. "We could finish off the basement and square off a section of it for Kevin. I mean, he's starting to get weapons of his own, and maps, all that hunter stuff. He could use the wall space."

"That sounds like a plan." He said with a nod. "Not like we won't have a good long while before it's needed as well. There is a door to the yard down there but I don't think we have to worry about Kevin sneaking off in the middle of the night."

"We probably do, but he's a good kid." Rachel said. For what he had been through in his young life, he was a good kid. He might as well have been a genetic Winchester for all his resilence he'd shown so far.

"I'm not going to start worrying about it until he actually starts getting the nerve to ask girls out." Sam said. "Then we might have to start worrying. Thankfully his exposure to Dean rarely included non related females."

"You think he really needs exposure to Dean?" Rachel asked with a smile. "Eventually he'll overcome it on his own, then he'll figure he has some ground to make up for."

Sam laughed. "I am hoping he works on the making up ground in college." He said with a grin. "Less stress for us poor parents that way."

"Actually, Dean was talking about taking Kevin out for a night." Rachel said with a grin. "He suggested Simon could spend the night with Mary and Tessa, and leave us to our own devices. Hard to turn down when he puts it like that."

"Yeah, but what he is probably talking about is taking him out hunting. Dean doesn't let Mary anywhere near a hunt other than research. Think he needs a son to pass the family business on to. Don't see it happening though. Guess we'll have to share Kevin with him for now."

"So there's going to be a major hunt at the pizzeria where Carly Roarke works?" Rachel said with a wide grin. "Good to know. We'll just have to avoid that place then."

"Wait.. who's Carly Roarke?" Sam asked with a puzzled expression. This was a name he hadn't heard before.

"She sits across from him in chemistry." Rachel said. "He's, well, I think he's got a crush on her, so he enlisted your brother to help stalk her. Because it's cooler to go for pizza with your uncle than with your father."

Sam laughed a little at that. "I actually get that. I didn't have an uncle. I just had an older brother that usually wound up with the girl staring at him instead of me. " He said. "Thankfully he is too old to really get much of that reaction from anyone inKevin's class."

"I don't know, Mary said some of her friends had crushes on her dad." Rachel said with a laugh. "Girls are confusing like that. But I'm sure Kevin will be fine and who knows? Maybe he'll get past his fear of talking to girls."

"I hope so. Cause you know that's all it is. He is just too afraid of the girls to talk to them much. Keep hoping he will get over that but it's not as easy as it sounds." He said, having been there himself.

"You were afraid of girls?" Rachel said with a laugh. "Mr I've been hunting demons since I was six, you were afraid of girls? Seriously?""Oh yeah, big time. Mouth would go dry, my stomach would tie up in knots. It wasn't pretty." He said with a laugh. "Then again neither was I as a kid. Dean was the good looking one when we were younger. Had that angelic face with blonde hair and bright eyes that everyone fawned over. Me... I got grannies offering me cookies."

"You still have grannies offering you cookies." She said with a laugh. Her own grandmother was convinced Sam didn't eat enough, and would force feed him everytime she was around him.

"True... but at least now I also get the girl." He added as he kissed her lightly. "Makes up for the granny ladies." Sam had grannies offering him food and fussing over him when he had been teetering on the edge of demonic. It was just something about him. He had thought it was the dimples, but then, he didn't remember too many grandmothers fussing over his father.

"You definitely got the girl." Rachel said with a wide smile. "Dean, he's just a special unique case is all. Who knows what Jack would be labeled as? Means he'd have to come up for air with Kaylie to find out."

Sam laughed. "Jack is the normal one. No doubt about it. Normal. Scary thought, isn't it?" He said as he leaned back against the sofa. "You are marrying the freak of the family you know."

"Yeah, I know." She said. "And I wouldn't have it any other way. Believe me." She said. "Besides, are you so sure you're the freak of the family? I mean, if you look at it one way, Dean's the freak. Being all not empowered with magic or visions and such. Or Jack's the freak, growing up raised by a demon and being so completely normal."

"By that definition we're all freaks, it's genetic and the only children with any hope of escaping the freakishness are the ones that are adopted." Sam said with a grin.

"Nah, they'll all become freaks through environment." Rachel said with a laugh. "Which means we're all freaks. Which is all right, I'm used to it. The kids don't seem to mind it."

"Well, Kevin doesn't. Jury is still out on what Simon thinks about things. He has been a little different around me since finding out." Sam said with a sigh. But at least he hadn't bolted again. That was a good sign anyway, or at least a hopeful one.

"Sam, how long did it take you to fully accept that demons and their descendants weren't evil?" Rachel asked. "That it didn't necessarily make you evil? What did you have to go through? He's been hardwired the same way you were. It's gonna take time."

"I don't want to lose him... but I have to wonder if it's good for him... going through all of this so soon after losing his natural family. I don't know... damned if I do, damned if I don't. Hell I can't even talk to him about it for fear of him thinking I'm trying to get rid of him."

"He'll be fine." Rachel said. "And once this is all over with, and we're all getting on with our lives, it'll go even smoother."

Sam nodded, but he had his doubts. He had seen the look in the boy's eyes. Simon had felt betrayed by the news. Disillusioned. That would take a long time to come back from. He knew all too well.

Rachel leaned her head on his shoulder. "It's a hard time for him, he's been through a lot. You just have to give him time to work it all out in his head."

"I know. Well, at least he still trusts Kevin. If something is going on, he will go to him with it. Right now the demon is doing everything in his power to tear us all apart. Who knows what he will do next?"

"Maybe he won't do anything." Rachel said. "Maybe he'll just wait and let everyone tear themselves apart. Through wondering what he's going to do next, what's going to happen next. Stress alone can do that. Dean's already not doing as well as he keeps saying. Kaylie's pregnancy hasn't been the easiest. Simon and his troubles."

"He was already responsible for Mary's accident. I have a suspicion there will be all sorts of little things along the way. Goading us along."

"You're probably right." Rachel said. "But right now he's not doing anything. At least nothing overt we can see, and nothing we can prevent right now anyway. So can we just bask in the moment that I'm pregnant and for two seconds the world was great?"

"I'm sorry." He said as he held her close. "It is great news. It really is. I'm beyond happy about this. And once this is over, and I can stop worrying at every turn... it will be even more wonderful than it is right this minute."

"Okay." Rachel said with a sigh. "I knew what I was getting into, I really did. And you're right, when this is all over, everything will be different."

"I love you." He said softly, wishing that he could offer her more, that shedidn't have to put up with the yellow eyed demon hanging over their heads. Wished he didn't see Jessica dying over his bed every time he closed his eyes anymore. But wishes didn't amount to anything, and wouldn't until the bastard was dead.

"I know." She said. "And I love you too. This is just something else we have to get through. Everything will turn out just like it should. And since I'm pregnant and hormonal, it better turn out like I think it should. I really don't think Fate wants to mess with me right now."

Sam laughed. "I am going to feel sorry for Ben. He might ask Simon to shoot him before it's over with." He teased. "He is going to be locked in a house with two pregnant, worried women."

"Oh he'll have fun, don't worry." Rachel said. "It'll be such a mad house he'll get to scream and yell and threaten all he wants. Not to mention pout and sulk."

"The simple pleasures in life." He said. "Come on, let's go to bed, we have to get up in the morning and warn the boys they have competition on the way."

ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF

Kaylie no longer slept well at night. Hadn't for a couple of weeks. Between the headaches, the heart burn and the ever growing pressure on her back, she laid down long enough to convince Jack she might actually have gone to sleep, then paced. And cleaned. She had thought it hysterical and slightly demeaning when she'd read about it, but hand scrubbing a floor really did ease some of the pressure on her back.

And her floors had never been cleaner.

She would nap periodically throughout the day, short naps. She couldn't wait until this baby was born. She was on maternity leave from her teaching job already, because of the headaches. And she was serious. If there was a number five, Jack was carrying it and that was that.

The only reason Jack had been sleeping well at night was exhaustion. For the last month he had seen more of Mary than of his own children, as he took shifts keeping an eye on her at the hospital as well as working a full time job. He hadn't been complaining either. The last few weeks of pregnancy were not pleasant on anyone in the house. There was a lot of tension and a lot of emotion flowing freely. Kaylie wasn't the only one anxious for the kid to get here already.He eased out of bed and went to look for his wife. "Hey." He said quietly. "Anything I can do?"

Kaylie eased back on her knees with a sigh. "Ben needs to start using the door." She said. Because when he flared in, occasionally he left ash on her floor. Right now, she hated that. Three months ago she hadn't noticed. Two months from now she wouldn't mind. And when she had found the small area of ashes, she didn't know whether she wanted to cry or throw something. She was sore, her temples were throbbing, she was fat and swollen, and she was making everyone around her miserable no matter how hard she tried not to.

"Okay. I'll let him know in the morning." He said gently. They had gotten to this stage before. If he pointed out that it was just because she was pregnant, she would skin him alive with a lemon zester and no court in the world would convict her. "Come on... let me give you a back rub."

Kaylie was half surprised he hadn't gotten up for the sole purpose of jetting off to work. She understood completely, really, she did. In the rational part of her mind, that is. The one that wasn't soaked in the brine of hormones. He could still go to his job, and Mary had to be looked after. But that kinda left her in the lurch with three kids and a steering wheel she could barely fit a bulging belly behind. And that was the hormones talking, just the hormones talking, she kept repeating to herself over and over. It had become her new mantra.

But she managed to get up with a chuckle and arched her back, trying to crack it. It needed a good crack, but she was hardly in the condition to do it or have it done for that matter. "You're humoring me, I can tell." She said with a smile. She pointed to said bulgingbelly. "Number four, remember? Starting to learn your tricks."

He laughed softly. "Yeah well, just goes to show you married an intelligent man." Jack said. "I learned with number one what happens when I don't humor you. " He said as he slid his arm around her shoulders. "And don't worry. I'll go get fixed when... when there's time."

"Don't worry about it. Dr Grueber said on the last visit that I'm probably looking at a C-section." She said with a sigh. "I'll get it done then." Because at least she didn't quiver with terror of being neutered at the thought of getting her tubes tied. "Jack...I have a bad feeling. A really bad feeling. Like something's gonna happen."

"Why a C-section?" He asked, figuring that had something to do with her bad feeling. It was giving him a bad feeling. Particularly since she hadn't told him about it before now. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She said. "Just, believe it or not, not big enough for the baby. Or at least the baby's head." She should have seen it coming, really. Mark had been a nice normal six pounds, seven ounces. Abby was seven pounds, thirteen ounces. Benji was eight pounds ten ounces...each one was bigger than the last."It's not that, besides, why should you be the only one with scars around here, right?" She said with a teasing grin. Though it would be a relatively minor scar compared to some of his.

He laughed a little at that. "I suppose. This bad feeling... it's probably because of what happened to Ben, then Mary gets hit by a car... the battle with the demon hanging over us. I understand the bad feeling. I just wish there was something I could do that would make it go away."

Kaylie shook her head as she let him lead her back to the bedroom and she sat down on the bed. "Maybe." She said. "I don't know. Fine, maybe it's hormones. There, I said it. But it's like there'sa rock in the pit of my stomach and it refuses to go away." She looked at him. "This isn't going to wait until the baby is born." She said. It wasn't a question. Somehow she knew.

"I don't think it is, no." He said honestly. He had never been one to lie to his wife, not even when she was pregnant and it would be a kindness to do so. They had been through too much to start that now.

Kaylie nodded and closed her eyes, against overcome with the urge to just cry. She half wanted to call her OB and see how soon she could have this baby, be induced and get it over with. For a majority of reasons, but most of all so Jack could be there. "Ben's going to stick me in a closet with a gag, you know that, right?"

"He is going to treat you like spun glass." He said. "Because you are carrying his grandchild. Doesn't mean he won't threaten to do it, or think about it a lot." He added with faint grin.

Kaylie had to laugh at that. He was right. "In the teacher's lounge, someone posted a version of the serenity prayer. God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, courage to change the things we can, wisdom to know the difference, and the brute strength to hide the bodies when we finally flip out and kill everyone in sight." She said. "That's been so appropriate lately."

"Oh that it has. It's going to become literal, I think, before this is over and done with. But once it's done... it will be done. No more hunting for me. " He was in this to protect his family, but this was it. This demon was it. Anything else would have to actively come to their door. He would pull guard duty gladly but he couldn't leave a wife and 4 children to pick up the pieces of a life without him. Not for anything less than this.

Music to Kaylie's ears. She'd had enough arguments with him over hunting, from the first time the idea was even mentioned. From the first road trip with Dean. And spent enough nights waiting up for him, sometimes for days, because she didn't want to be a widow. "Do you mean that?" She asked, the hope creeping into her voice.

"I mean it. I have to talk to my brothers about it, but I mean it. I will still be involved in research or guard duty if they need me but I can't do this any more."

Kaylie sighed in relief, and it came out as a half sob. That was one light at the end of the tunnel that she'd been hoping for, fora long time. "Ben will probably throw you a party for this." She said, taking his hand and squeezing it. "But thank you."

"I love you. " He told her, although the deciding factor for him had been watching Dean and Mary in the hospital. What if that had been Mark? Or one of the younger children in that hospital bed? He couldn't risk making them targets any more.

"I just can't wait for this all to be over." When she'd let her kids out of her sight. Or even cross the road. When she had her normal body back, and be able to tie her own shoes. When the family as a whole wasn't about to crack from all the different stressors.

"Me too." He said and patted the bed. "Come on... on your side, I'll go get the lotion." Poor girl couldn't lay on her stomach anymore for him to rub her back.

Kaylie laughed as she laid down on her side. "Isn't this what got me in this predictament in the first place?" She joked "Then again, what can you do now? Knock me up?"

He laughed as he returned with the cocoa butter. "I don't know. I think you are safe enough for now. Something about a woman in pain or extreme discomfort... just ruins the mood." He teased as he lay down behind her and began to massage the small of her back.

"Oh good." Kaylie said. "Hard to get in the mood when you've never been this fat in your entire life." She said. But it felt good to have that tension rubbed out of her back. Her back had felt like it was in knots for weeks.

"If that was all fat, you wouldn't be this uncomfortable and I would be urging you to get in the mood as always." He said kissing her lightly. He couldn't imagine not wanting Kaylie. It went counter to his concept of the universe at large.

"Ooh, good answer!" She teased him, though she knew he meant it. And that was why she was able to tease him about it. "Okay, I think I'm calmed down for the night. No promises in a couple of hours though."

"I'm taking a couple days off, so it's okay to wake me if you need me." He told her. "Just wait for daylight to rant at anyone else." He teased. "Otherwise they won't be awake enough to say 'yes ma'am'."

She knew she was snippy, and liable to go off at any moment. Part of it was the pregnancy. Another part was the looming feeling her husband was about to go face down a powerful demon, and not come back. Because this family did not work without him, of that she was convinced. That led to a heavy mind and sleepless nights, and what sleep she could get was often interrupted by a somersaulting unborn child, or the needs of her already born and so quickly growing children. But knowing you were snippy and being able to stop it were two entirely different things.

Her mood nice and steady for the moment, she chuckled a bit when the baby kicked out again and grabbed her husband's hand, laying it over the spot where the little foot would often protrude. "I swear this baby has your big feet." She said. Stubborn already, she wasn't sure of the gender, because the legs were crossed with hands in the lap at every single ultrasound.

He laughed as the baby kicked again. "Hey... be nice to your mama." He admonished playfully, only to be kicked again. "I think she likes the sound of my voice."

"I think so. Now if only she could figure out a different way to say hi." She said with a laugh. Today, the baby was a girl. They switched back and forth. "Or a miracle could occur and your voice could lull her to sleep!"

"Or this one will take after Sam, and the kid is telling me to shut the hell up and leave him alone already." Jack said with a shrug. "Ever notice that the sound of my voice brings out the worst in him?"

"Dean says you sound like your father." Kaylie said. "They didn't have the easiest relationship. That probably has a lot to do with it." She said as she adjusted her position against her husband, one arm reaching back and playing with his curling wavy hair. "I think he's jealous, actually."

"Jealous? Of what?" Jack asked with a laugh. He couldn't imagine Sam had any need to be jealous. It wasn't that he had a low self esteem, he just didn't see that there was anything about his own life that would fit within Sam's own unique ways of doing things.

Kaylie chuckled. "Okay. You've got the life he wanted, right down to the blonde wife." She pointed out. "You've got a real relationship with Ben that's not based on hunting or guilt. Or secrets and lies for that matter. And even though he made sure you and Dean bonded or whatever, it bugs him." Even on that very first day, she could see how desperate Sam was for Dean and Jack to bond like brothers.

"That makes no sense to me... I just don't understand it." He hadn't bonded with Sam the way he had with Dean. He kept expecting Sam to run, and that wasn't a pain he was willing to go through. So he kept his distance. But he didn't interfere with the relationship between Sam and Dean. "If anything, you would think I would be jealous cause those two have a bond that is... extreme."

"Nah. Because that bond is just freaking scary." Kaylie said. "I understand it, on a solely academic level. Mom died, Dad was...gone...they had each other. And Dean was brother, friend, father, confidante, teacher and tormentor all in one. Sam is Dean's responsibility on a really wrong level." She couldn't imagine putting that kind of stress and load on Mark. Then again, she'd never been through what the elder two Winchesters had. "I'm serious, I think he's jealous of you and Dean because you and Dean are normal. Relationship wise anyway."

"I suppose that makes sense. Sam wants normal like most people want to wake up in the morning." Jack shook his head. "But avoids it like crazy at the same time."

"And honey, even with your mother, your grandfather, your father, the magic, the demon hunting, Ben...you're normal in spades." She pointed out with a laugh. "That and he probably knows you keep yourself a step back from him."

"It's hard to get close to him." Jack said. "There is always this feeling that he's waiting to bolt again. Not that he wants to, but that he's waiting to have to."

"I'm starting to think that little road trip you'll be going on will NOT be preferable to hanging out with six kids, two worried women and an antsy demon." She said with a chuckle. But she wanted the paranoia overwith. She wanted to let her kids go out and play without her freaking.

"Probably not." He said. "But it needs to be done, and once it's done, maybe, just maybe... Sam and Dean can relax and just be for a while." Jack said, at least he hoped so.

"I think they might be a little lost." Kaylie said with a chuckle. "I mean, this is the goal of their whole entire life. I'm not sure they know how to be normal, no matter how much they might want to be."

"I know." He said quietly. "Well, at least they can get a little closer to normal. You know they are always going to be hunters, but at least when this is done it's ... less likely to be a mutual hunt."

"So maybe Rachel and I can stop shopping for first aid supplies and do more wedding shopping." Kaylie said with a laugh. "She's stuck through so much, she really loves Sam."

"He deserves it. I just wish Dean would figure out it's okay to fall in love again as well." Jack said. "Although he seems to be happy with the single father routine."

"Well, Dean's got a huge abandonment complex, kinda like this guy I sorta know." She said with a grin. "But who knows? Maybe he'll find someone, or someone will find him. Chavi was the only one in the world I think that really understood him, including his brothers."

"Yeah... or maybe she figured she didn't have to understand him... just accept him." Jack said as he cuddled closer to his wife. "There's this nurse that's interested but I think she is probably more than he can handle." He said with a chuckle.

"Don't tell Dean that, he's got an invincibility complex." Kaylie said with a chuckle. "I think it would be good for him. Not to mention do wonders for Mary's dating life if he were just a tad distracted." She remembered being that sixteen year old whose father was insistent she remain six forever.

"Yeah, otherwise she is going to wind up with some loser whose dad has to pay for their home, his brother buys their car, and the idiot won't even have the sense to get a college degree." He teased remembering her father's early opinion of him as a husband.

Kaylie laughed. That was about her father's opinion on Jack for a long time. "Not exactly true, Dean just paid the towing fees." She said with a grin. "Mary could do a whole lot worse. Then again, she is the offspring of a guy who was the centerpoint in the biggest, messiest murder trial these parts have ever seen. She should so hook up with a cop."

"Oh yeah, that would go over well. About as well as hooking up with a hunter." He added. "She should hook up with a pacifist. Just to see the look on Dean's face. Of course she would get bored after the third date."

"I don't know. My mom was sure I'd get bored with you by the end of our junior year." She said. "Just remember one thing, anything you curse on Dean, he's going to curse worse on you. You do have a daughter who will get to that dating age faster than you think!"

"Abby is going to want Ben to introduce her to the really cool demons. I already know where that's going to go." Jack said with a groan.

"I'm sure Ben won't introduce her to the ones her uncles will want to kill on the spot." Kaylie assured him as she yawned. The emotional meltdown of the day out of the way nice and early for once."Only if he wants me to come out of hunting retirement since the boys only hunt the ones that need killing." He said with a chuckle.

"Such a double standard!" Kaylie teased. "It's perfectly all right for Ben to plan to hook Mark and Benji up with strippers as soon as they're old enough, but not all right for him to plan a little something for Abby?"

"I don't mind Ben planning a little something for Abby so long as it's not a demon that Dean and Sam are going to want to kill on sight. Can you imagine what sort of man he would be so that they wouldn't even give him a chance at this stage in their lives?"

"They don't even have to be demonic, just male, for Dean to threaten them with a shot gun if they so much as look at Mary." Kaylie said with a laugh. "I'm sure you'll get to that stage with Abby."

Jack laughed. "The difference being, Dean is judging all teenaged boys by what he was and is like... I knew who I was going to marry at 8, so it will probably be much sooner that I start harrassing her little playmates."

"I guess you're right. My father made the big mistake by not threatening to maim you until you were fourteen. He should have started MUCH earlier." Kaylie said with a grin.

"Exactly. I can learn from other people's mistakes. Not so worried about the Dean sort of guy... Abby will have her fire batons then." He said with a chuckle.

"Oh don't let her hear you say that. I think I've almost gotten her to forget about them." Kaylie said with a laugh. Abby and her fire batons. Kaylie figured it was because she had such a hero worship for Ben. It was the closest she'd come to shooting fire.

"By the time she is old enough to date she will be able to handle them." He said as he lay his head on the pillow. "Besides, she'll be 30 by then, nothing we can do to stop her." He teased as his eyes began to drift closed.

Kaylie chuckled. And she was right, her daily meltdown was out of the way early, leaving her tired, and for once, able to sleep. So, leaning against her husband, she did. Wasn't so hard, after all. Even the baby seemed to want to sleep now.

ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF

Mary was up early the following morning. She couldn't spend another minute resting and relaxing. Her father was driving her nuts, and the dogs hadn't been given a real walk in over a month. Not one that she counted as a walk anyway. They were going to get fat with the amount of treats Tessa liked to give them. So she dressed and grabbed the leashes then called the dogs.

Dean woke up with a start as Mary called the dogs. What the hell?

He'd been an unusually light sleeper since Mary's accident. More like Mary's attempted murder. Even if she didn't remember it, he did. And that was enough. With the demon out there and gearing up on its own for the showdown, no one was out of Dean's sight for long. Because no one could afford that.

So quickly pulling on sweats and a tee shirt, hopping down the stairs as he pulled on his sneakers, he grinned at Mary. "You're up early." He said in the most casual of ways.

"Yeah, can't sleep. Another minute in bed and I was going to start ripping it to shreds with my teeth." She told him as she fastened the leashes on Rumsfeld and Ginger Bear.

"I can remember feeling like that." Dean said as he sat on the stairs to tie his shoes. "I also remember a certain little mop top glaring at me to make sure I stayed there too." He said pointedly. "But I can't sleep either. We going for a walk?"

"You were still in the hospital, Dad. I'm not." She pointed out. "Sure you can come if you want. " She said and handed over Rumsfeld's leash. "Easier with a one to one ratio. Otherwise they will walk you. Who knew geriatric dogs were so strong?"

Dean laughed as he took Rumsfeld's leash. "The old ones always surprise you." He said. She was right, they hadn't been taken out for a good walk for a long time. The humans were just too busy and too on edge. "I figure Tessa will be all right. If she wakes up before we get back, she'll just wake up Bobby to keep her company." Always assessing her. Watching for the slightest wince or limp.

"Speaking of old ones that surprise you." She said with a laugh as she opened the door. "So you gonna hover like this forever?" She asked, grinning at her father a little. She didn't mind, but she wanted him to know she knew what he was up to.

Dean ducked his head, an admission of 'guilt.' "Well, not forever." He said with a grin. "What can I say? I'm just overprotective." He'd almost lost her. And that was enough reason for him, especially with the yellow eyed demon bastard still hanging...no...looming over their heads.

"I know." She said and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "But Joey wants to go to the convention center for a concert next weekend and I'd kinda like to go without a chaperon." She said with a laugh. "It's not like there won't be a few thousand people there to prevent us from doing anything anyway."

Dean balked. Visions of a thousand people pressing against his daughter. So easy to slip a knife into her back and not be noticed. Or a push down stairs or over a high railing. Not to mention all the things that could happen on the way there or on the way back.

"No." He said quickly. "No! Mary, you just got out of the hospital. You had major surgery. Absolutely not."

'Dad... It's a concert not a camping trip. It's sitting on my butt and listening to music." She said. "I do that here. Why can't I do it with live music?"

"Because it's not safe!" Dean shot back before he thought better of it. Then he clenched his jaw and stared straight ahead as they walked. "Because I said so."

Mary sighed in frustration. "Dad... I can't stop living because of this. If I do that, they win." She said, even though she knew he wouldnt relent at all. He never did when he got like this.

Dean shook his head as they walked in silence for a few minutes. He couldn't get out of it, she had to know what happened to her. Or she might run off and go to this stupid concert anyway. "Do you have any memory of what happened to you?" He asked quietly. Tightly. Seeing his daughter on the stretcher in the ambulance all over again.

"I know I was hit by a hit and run driver." She said. "I get that it's scary... and that I was badly hurt. I really do."

"No you don't." Dean said. "I know who the hit and run driver was. Well, not exactly who, but who they were working for. Following their orders. That demon. Tried to kill you. To get to the rest of us. And you think I'm letting you go off into an arena filled with strangers that could be armed and trying to finish the job? No, absolutely not! Not until this is over!"

"When is that going to be, Dad? You have been after this thing your whole life. How many times has the demon hurt you or Uncle Sam? How often have the two of you just laid down and stopped doing things? We don't know that this will ever be over."

"Yes we do." Dean said, as Rumsfeld stopped to relieve himself against a tree. "It'll be over soon. Which is why the bastard is gearing up now. It knows how humans work, a bit. And it knows that if something happened to you, I'd be pretty damn close to useless."

"And if it's not? If this ritual turns out to be a dead end? What if Sam can't exorcise him into non-existance? What do we do then?" She asked, hating that her life was put on hold because of all of this. It was bad enough that she was likely to have to redo her junior year from missing so much school and had enough scars that she wasn't willing to wear shorts or a swim suit in public anymore. But now she was going to have to give up dating and hanging out or even walking the dog on her own too. Unfair didn't even begin to cover it.

Dean fell silent. Because if this ritual failed, Mary and Tessa would go live with Kaylie, who would most likely go move in with Ben because of all the kids. But that didn't need to be said, did it? "You know, when your mom and I were first married, she asked me about kids. If I wanted them. I said no, not because I didn't want them, I did. But because I knew it would only be a curse on them, my life, what I've got chasing after me, and it's not fair. I know that."

"What happened to me isn't your fault, Dad. I'm not cursed, there isn't a curse hanging over my head. Some jackass demon decided to hurt you through me. I don't want to make it any worse for you, or add to it by being a spoiled brat or anything, but... Dad... you can't wrap me up in cotton batting."

"I can try." Dean said. "Or at least one of those sterile bubbles. Look, nice and blunt? You go to that concert, you could end up with a knife in your back. Or caught in a fire you can't escape. Or innocently pushed over a railing."

"Fine." She said in a tone that said it was anything but fine. "Okay... so what else am I not allowed to do anymore?" She asked, staring straight ahead. She knew he was just worried about her, and she loved him for that but at the same time, she didn't know how much more of her life she was expected to give up.

"It's not for long, Mary. I'm not locking you in the basement for the rest of your life." Dean said. Trying to smooth things over as best he could. "We're doing this in a few weeks, probably by the end of this week if we can get it all together. It'll be over soon."

"Yeah, and so will my junior year. But don't worry, I'll have another one next year." She said before she could stop it from coming out. "Ginger bear looks tired. We should take the dogs home now." She added quietly.

Dean turned Rumsfeld around, shaking his head. There was a wall now, there had never been a wall. "Jesus, Mary, what do you want me to do? Let you go out and pretend everything is normal when it's really not? Take the chance that by letting you what you want you could get killed? Or worse maybe. What do you want from me? I'm sorry. I'm sorry I put this on you, I'm sorry you were born my daughter instead of some regular guy's. I'm sorry that I couldn't put an end to this a long time ago. Okay? I'm sorry."

"I didn't say it was your fault. Don't you dare wish me away like that. I don't want a regular guy for a dad. " She said. "But I get to be upset, okay? You can't expect all of this to drop on my head and me to be happy about it."

"I know." Dean said with a sigh. "Just..." he went through rebellion with Sam, even if John was technically the father, "right now is a very bad time for a teenage rebellion."

"I'm not rebelling, I'm pouting... or sulking... or whatever this is... but it's not rebellion. Rebellion would be going to the concert anyway. " Mary pointed out. "I just don't know what to do... maybe... maybe it's time to teach me more. It's gonna involve itself in my life in a dramatic way... it's not like you can shelter me any more. At least then I'm not just.. waiting for what's supposed to be the best part of my teenaged years fly by. I mean... I have to repeat a year. That sucks. Big hairy rocks that sucks."

"I know." Dean said. "But ask Sam, and it sucked big hairy rocks to spend his teenage years training, and hunting, and weapons, and everything else. But...we'll see. Should be something we can work on."

"Okay, something... because I'm gonna go stir crazy. Absolutely stir crazy, I mean... if it's too dangerous for me to go out then it's too dangerous for my friends to come over...and... it's starting to feel like solitary. "

Dean sighed and put his arm around his daughter's slender shoulders, closing his eyes as he kissed her temple softly. Of all the things to do with his kids, condemning them to solitary honestly was not on the to do list. Now he wanted this overwith before his girls were more scarred than they already were.

"But hey, on a lighter, brighter note, Ben played poker last night. Got a shaman seriously in the hole." Dean said. "To pay off the debt, he offered to help with your scars." He knew that they seriously disturbed her, as they would any teenage girl, wrapped in self consciousness.

"You think he can really help? Not just chant and wave smelly stuff over me and tell me they will get better in time?" She asked, that could be good news. Some of them she couldn't really hide. She had skidded across concrete at a high rate of speed. She had a lot of scars. Some were little and she could ignore them, others not so much.

"Ben says he's the real deal." Dean said. "And also as gay as Elton John, which made me feel better." Dean admitted with a laugh, considering where some of Mary's scars were. Not anywhere indecent, but close enough for a father's peace of mind.

She actually laughed a little. "It would kinda be like having a doctor look at me ... right? I mean... it's not like he would be getting off on it... even if he wasn't gay... right?"

"Just humor me in that area." Dean said with a chuckle. "I had a heart attack once you know, it really wasn't fun. Let's put a repeat off for a while, okay?"

"Yeah... right... you wouldn't have a heart attack... you would wind up in jail on assault charges... if Ben was around to pull you off of the guy before it became homicide."

"Guilty as charged." Dean said. "You're right." He said as they got back to the house. "Never denied I was an over protective father. But you want in on this, your uncles are coming over for a planning session to get this show on the road."

"Okay... I'm in as much as I can be. I know there isn't a whole lot you can teach me between now and then but ... I don't want to be an easy target for the next demon that wants a piece of you."

"Sweetheart, I've taught you more than you think I have." Dean admitted. "Darts? If you can throw a dart, you can throw a knife." He said as an example. "Makes up for the gun thing." Because not everyone was a good shot, and very few were as good a shot as he was. "You know the lore too. You're not completely defenseless, I just...I just didn't take you out into the woods and train you on the job like your grandfather did me."

"I still feel helpless. I mean... it was a car... you know. I have crossed that street a hundred times this year alone. How do you defend against a car of all things? And why can't it be like in the movies when you roll off the hood and get up running?"

"Because you're not the persecuted hero running from the police with a disk containing secret government information that would clear you?" Dean suggested as they got into the house and he poured the food for the dogs. "If you were, you would have surely bounced off."

"Right... I'm the supporting character in the horror flick instead." She said with a laugh. "Not even the one that gets the guys. They are all dumb bloods with breasts the size of their heads."

"Can't get the guys. Cause I'm the paranoid father with PTSD and a shot gun." He said with a laugh. "Never turns out good for the guys. At least not when I write the movies."

"Well one of these days you will have to get over that, you know. Because eventually I want to do that whole marriage and family thing. Not any time soon, soyou know, you have time to wean yourself off the OCD, PTSD, over protective alphabet soup thing."

"Oh your uncles have been trying to do that for years." He said as he got the cold water out of the fridge for the dogs and pulled out breakfast for the humans. "So far they've gotten me to admit that quite possibly I don't have as much control over everything as I would like to have. And that maybe I'm not Mr Invincible."

"Maybe... and possibly." She said with a laugh. "Well, just consider yourself on notice... I'm going to date... I'm going to marry... and one day... in the distant future, you are going to be a grandfather. And Tessa... she's going to get over that boys are icky stage and then she is going to date, marry and make you a grandfather as well."

Dean grimaced. "Remember a few minutes ago when I mentioned how heart attacks really aren't fun? They weren't fun at 27, doubt they'll be much more joyful at 46." He reminded her. "I'll cross that bridge with plenty of alcohol when I have to come to it."

"Yeah well, I had to face harsh reality about the concert and my junior year... you get to face the harsh reality that daughters grow up." She said with a shrug.

"No I don't. I can just gracefully slide into senility instead." Dean said. "Bacon or sausage this morning?" The one thing about raising a kid basically on his own, his eating habits had become marginally better.

"Sausage." She said as she gave the dogs their medication. Old dogs come with a lot of medical problems ... after all Ginger was 15. For a dog that was 105. So there was vitamins, and doggie NSAIDs and glucosamine and chondroiton, and special food for an old dog. Humans should need so little in their old age. Bobby swallowed an entire pharmacy every morning and evening.

Dean made breakfast. "Mary, if I were a bad father, you'd let me know, right?" He said as he scrambled the eggs. "I'm serious."

Mary went over to hug her father. "Everyone wishes you were their dad. You know why? You listen to me, most dads dont listen. Most dads are too busy with their job to have time for their kids... I mean really have time. You manage to be my friend and still be my dad. What on earth makes you think you could possibly be a bad father?"

Because when you know you might die, you think of everything you might have done wrong. But he didn't say that. "Just wondering I guess." He said instead. "But you'd tell me, right?"

"I'm a teenager. Of course I would tell you. Loud, long and incessantly. You have nothing to worry about in that regard okay. Dad... what's bothering you?"

Dean shrugged. "Nothing. Just realizing that despite my best efforts and complaining and stomping of my feet, you're growing up inspite of me. Wanted to make sure I haven't messed you up too bad."

"No more than any other father out there messes up his kids." She said as she raised up to kiss his cheek. "But I'm not going to turn into one of those prozac bunnies that do one woman plays about how their childhood has crippled them for life. So quit worrying."

Dean had to laugh at that. "Good, because I'd have to shoot you off the stage with rocksalt just to make sure you weren't possessed." He said. "Go wake up Tessa and Bobby." As much as Bobby deserved to sleep late, a lot of his medication was timed.

"Okay." She said as she left the kitchen and headed to Bobby's room first. Sam came in the kitchen door, a broad smile on his face that he couldn't beat back even when he tried.

Dean took one look at his brother and playfully reached for the salt. "Where's my gun?" He asked. "Seriously, Sam...what's up?" His brother all smiley and happy, nearly giddy. Weird. Unusual. Scary.

"I'm gonna be a dad." He said, then shook his head. "Again... but.. not the... well... Rachel is pregnant."

"What? Wow." Dean said. "Congratulations dude! Welcome to the diaper patrol." He joked. "Knew you had it in you, Winchester genes just will not be denied, birth control or not."

"Yeah, this was definitely not planned, that's for sure, but the boys are excited too so it's... well... good news. It's very good news. At least this whole mess with the demon is almost over ... "

"It's great news." Dean corrected. "And I don't think any of kids were really planned. And once this demon thing is over, and we can all just get on with our lives already, gives us something to party about."

"I'll second that one" he said with a grin "in fact we have to have a huge family party when this is over. We just have to figure out how to make this happen and happen fast. "

"Well, we've got the name. I've narrowed down locations of possibilities." Dean said as he poured Sam a cup of coffee. "Bobby's looking into blood rites, so we're actually way ahead of schedule if you look at it that way."

He nodded. "Okay... We could always just summon him when the time comes." Sam suggested. "I don't know... So how's Mary doing? You look a little frazzled this morning."

"Oh fine. Except of course for the part where I'm ruining her life. Big concert, and I'm not letting her go, for obvious reasons. She's sick of being a target, can't say I blame her. She's also scarred, scared and hurt." Dean said with a shrug. "Not much I can do about most of that."

"She'll be okay. Especially once this is over and done with." Sam said. "Trust me, normal teenagers always think their parents are ruining thier lives. I think Kevin was born an adult. Simon hit his teens early, however."

"Yeah, how's it going to go? I have no idea how long this is going to take." Dean asked. "Ben and Simon in one place, unable to leave..."

"It's going to have to work. There is no other choice. Ben won't leave the kid in the cold with all that going on. Isn't in his nature. No matter how much he would like to believe otherwise."

"Yeah, we'll see." Dean said with a shake of his head. "If nothing else, they'll get to fully hash out those issues like you want them too, right?"

"Yeah... right now I can't worry about how comfortable they are going to be together. I know that is selfish and would piss Ben off to hear it but... I need my family safe if I am going to go off and risk life and soul "

"That's easy for you to say." Bobby said, coming in for his pills and coffee. "You're not the one stuck with him."

Dean had to chuckle at that. "He's got a point."

"Maybe, but it's the only way I can do this." Sam said as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "Especially now that Rachel is pregnant."

"Really? How about that." Bobby said as he palmed his morning meds and took them. "Poor Kaylie and Rachel. You and Jack keep this kid competition up and they'll get no sleep." He teased.

"It's not a competition. Besides I heard a rumor this was their last anyway. Which leaves the road free and clear for Rachel and I. " He teased in return. It felt good to laugh and joke. Felt good to think about new life and not the constant threat of death.

"Yeah, they said Abby was the last. Then Benji was the last. Now this one is the last. See a pattern?" Dean said as he dished out breakfast. "I swear they're trying for a kid that looks like Ben at this rate."

Sam snorted. "Good luck with that." He said. "Although I swear Abby is going to take after him in attitude if she has anything to say about it. The kid worships the ground the man walks on."

"Much like her father." Bobby said from his plate of eggs. "Though God help us if she succeeds." He said, giving a dramatic shudder at the idea.

"Just glad I'm not the one that has to deal with her in her teenaged years. She is going to be an absolutely beautiful girl... and a handful." Sam pointed out. "If you add in Ben's influence..."

Dean had to laugh at that. "Okay, suddenly I'm feeling a lot more blessed right now." Dean said. Mary's teenage years had not been that bad so far. Some days he felt like beating the shit out of someone (never Mary) out of frustration, but it was all right.

"You should... although to be fair, other than this incident with Ben, the boys have been really good as well. Of course being boys there is the side benefit that I can do what Dad did with us when we got out of hand. Take them camping the hard way."

"Ooh I hated that." Dean said. "Really hated that. I wish Dad had done anything else but that. Ground me, beat me, embarass me in front of girls...but the hard core extreme camping..." Dean shuddered. "I STILL don't like camping to this day because of that."

Bobby chuckled at that. "Then it served its purpose." He remembered when John had come back from some of those camping trips, looking as ragged as the boys and going straight for the booze while sending the boys to clean up the gear and put it way right, as per marine specs.

Dean chuckled. "Guess so." He said. "Girls! Breakfast. Get it while it's hot." He called out. Or at least before everyone else came over, scavengers.

Mary and Tessa came down a few moments later. "Come on... hold still." Mary said as she was trying to finish Tessa's hair. "You can't go to school with one braid.""But I don't want to miss breakfast... or worse eat cold eggs." She said as she continued to head to her chair.

Dean laughed. That was one reason he was glad Kaylie was such a willing babysitter and friend when Mary was young. For some reason, Dean could braid rope to make it stronger and take up less space, to make it more able to bear weight and hang off anything like roofs, bridges, cliffs...but he couldn't braid hair. At all. Ever. He guessed it was because he had a mind block against it, because it was a 'girl thing.' Kaylie, however, could braid.

He wasn't sure about the school thing. But they couldn't think of a legitimate reason to keep any of them out. Not even Mary anymore. Her principal had said there was a 'chance' that Mary could continue to her senior year, and she refused to blow it. So, armed with precautions, and a whole lot of amulets and charms disguised as jewelry, the girls were going to school.

"You sure you're up to going today?" Dean asked.

"Dad... if I don't go today, I am going to go insane. Kevin promised to stick to me like glue, and we have half our classes together... I'll be fine." Mary said, just as Sam's boys came in through the front door, Kevin calling out that they were there.

"Did you hear that, Sam? Spending time with me drives people to insanity." Dean teased. "Guess that explains you. Hey guys, breakfast if you want it."

Kevin immediately dove for the toast. He was nearly always hungry. "So Mary, I can't believe you're fighting for the chance to go to school." He said.

"If I don't go and do really well for what's left of this year, I have to take this year over again. So seriously not wanting to have an extra year of school, 12 is going to be plenty."

"I heard Ben has lots of reciepts from our happily married principal going to his club, and one of his girls going home with him." Kevin said, laughing, as he took some sausage.

"Ben has blackmail on probably everyone in this town." Dean said with a shrug. "How about we save all that for a rainy day?"

"Dad... an additional year of school hovering on the horizon... IS a rainy day." Mary pointed out. "No matter how much you want to get a few extra years of me as a kid in."

"Okay, how about we see if you can do it on your own, and if it's not possible, then we bring out the dirty pictures." Dean said, laughing.

"It's a Winchester thing." Bobby said. "Either do it on your own, beat them up on your own, or disable their transportation on your own."

"Easy for him to say. He doesn't have more than a month of school work to catch up on... on his own." Mary said as she grabbed a sausage patty and a piece of toast. "Come on... let's go." She said to Kevin.

"No, I just switched schools at least once a month." Dean pointed out. The fact that he and Sam had managed to even graduate under those circumstances was amazing to say the least.

Mary rolled her eyes, but opted not to get into the one-up-manship competition with her father. It was annoying and the only way to win was to make him feel guilty for something he didn't do. She kissed him on the cheek and headed out the door in silence, waiting on her sister and cousins to join her.

"Come on, squirt." Kevin said, messing with Simon's hair as he grabbed a paper plate full of food to take with him.

"You're not eating and driving are you?" Dean asked.

"Why? Did you spike the food with something drivers aren't supposed to ingest?" Kevin shot back.

Simon protested the messing with his hair. "No... so that you don't crash while stuffing your face." He said as he grabbed a piece of toast and headed out the door to find Mary.

"I'ma growing boy!" Kevin said with a laugh as he headed out with his brother.

"And that's the future of the world." Bobby said. "Then again, you two were once the future of the world, and it didn't turn out half as bad as I expected.""Yeah well, we haven't saved it yet so don't go giving us too much credit yet." Sam said with a grin. "But hey... we have more than two choices to lay our hopes on now. It's got to turn out better."

"Yeah, there's going to be nine choices. Not bad." Dean said. "Of course, three are teenagers," Mary, Kevin and Mark,"one likes to shoot demons," Simon,"another likes to play with fire," Abby, "another has some sort of magic ability," Benji, "and Jack says if the next one turns out like you, he's shooting himself." Dean teased Sam.

"That's because it would suck to not be able to keep up with his son either." He teased in return. "Mine however is going to be perfect. And actually finish law school." Sam might have sorted out that most of his father's parenting was pretty good over all, even used a few of his techniques for dealing with teenaged boys, but one thing he was firm about was college. They were going if he had to work himself into the ground to get them there.

"And the good thing is we don't have to pay for it." Dean said. He'd been shocked at the price of colleges. But the kids had nice college funds from when Ben had 'died'. "I'm working on convincing Mary to go. It's an uphill battle, I don't know, you'd think most kids with smothering fathers would jump at the chance to get the hell out of Dodge.""That's because Mary knows you are absolutely helpless." Jack said as he came through the door."Rachel's pregnant." Sam announced with a grin."You're still one behind." Jack pointed out as he went for coffee.

"I feel so bad for Kaylie and Rachel. You two competing like this." Bobby said, shaking his head. "How are the girls anyway?" If they were under fifty, they were girls in Bobby's eyes.

Sam and Jack turned to look at Bobby. "We're not competing." They said in unison. Sam grinned. "Not any more." He teased. " I hear this is your last one... so unless you start adopting, dude, your race is run."

"Dude, don't bring out his competitive streak. Else he will win, because Kaylie will kill YOU. Cause she likes Jack more than she likes you. Then she'll probably kill me just because she might figure I egged you two on!" Dean said as he brought the last of the breakfast out. "Okay, so where are we standing right now?"

"What... afraid she'll put rocky mountain oysters on the menu or something?" Jack asked with a grin. Sam took a deep breath. "Right now we just need a place to summon the bitch into." He said. "With his true name, summoning him will be a hell of a lot more effective."

Bobby pulled out a few maps he had brought out. "Been working on this." He said and unrolled the maps. With different places circled, and dots all over the place. "Possessions have gone up. Demonic activity off the radar." He said. "Best I reckon, we got two possible places for a nice show down." He said, gesturing to two places that were curiously blank.

Dean looked at the maps. "It's like they're surrounding the areas." He said. "Which one is hell gate material."

"Both." Bobby said. "That's the problem."

"Any local legends to give us any determining factor?" Sam asked as he bent over the map looking at the locations. "I can go there today and check them out, see whats' going on, if anything, although I suspect it will be a demonic dead zone."

"This one," Bobby said, pointing to the one in Wyoming, "is an old cowboy cemetary. The other one," a few hours outside New Orleans, "is an old cemetary built right on top an Indian graveyard."

"New Orleans is a known hotspot." Dean said. "If they don't have activity there, that's unusual. And I did find the last hellgate in a cemetary."

Sam nodded. "I'll go there, take a few pictures see if there is anything to give us a clue and we can take it from there." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. There was a lot more riding on this than his own peace of mind, his own sanity, or for that matter humanity. But those were the things on his mind at the moment.

"You sure?" Dean asked. He had quite a bit of experience in reading his brother. And Sam was worried, especially given the way he could go check it all out 'today' and report 'later.'

"No." Sam said, honestly. "I'm not sure of anything that involves me using those ... abilities. But there isn't any choice. If we fail, it's Armagedon." He didn't like this at all, especially with Rachel pregnant, but at the same time, better now than when she was more vulnerable, better that he take the chance even if it pushed him over the edge.

Dean sighed. If he could do it, and spare his brother, he would. But he couldn't. "Jack? How are things on your end?" He asked.

Jack grumbled. "It's going. Slow but there, I suppose. " He hated the magic as much as Sam hated his demonic side. It was the one thing about his brother he could relate to. "I wouldn't wait for me to get good at it before doing this."

"Just do what you can." Dean said. "So now the real question. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I've a lawyer coming over for that whole will thing." He had to decide custody of the kids too, since he was lacking a Rachel or a Kaylie.

Jack took a deep breath, it was the logical, responsible thing to do, but it was not something he wanted to hear coming from Dean's mouth. Not Dean of all people.Sam's eyes widened. "Wow... that's a big step. This thing really has you on edge, doesn't it?"

"Dude, every other time I've been so much as in the same area as this demon, he's nearly killed me." Dean said. "Now if it were just me out in the world, that's one thing. But I've got two kids and a business. And this is about as grown up as I'll get, ever, so don't get used to it."

Sam nodded. He still felt responsible for all of it. That would never go away. He knew that ultimately he was responsible for his mother's death, for what happened to their father, and all the times the demon had nearly killed Dean. Not through direct action, but simply because of his existence. "Do you ... need any help?" He asked, determined that the lawyer would just be a formality. Even if the rest of the world be hanged because of it.

"Well, you have to survive it." Dean said. "Cause you get the kids and Bobby."

"You can't leave me to someone in your will." Bobby protested.

"Yes I can. I can leave whatever I want to anyone I want in my will. If I wanted to leave Jack New York City, I could. Doesn't mean he could take possession, but I could still write that!" Dean said with a laugh.

"Yeah and only you would think of it." Jack said shaking his head. "Just worry about getting the kids settled. Bobby is old enough to decide between Sam and an assisted living facility all on his own.""Oh, nice options there." Sam said with a laugh. "Not sure how to take it if I win the draw of that one. Since the alternative is so ... appealing." He had to make light of it. If he didn't, he would go stark raving mad and try and take care of ole yellow eyes on his own.

"Fine, you're both ungrateful brats." Dean said with a laugh. "The business gets split between you and Jack. Sam'll do the day to day shit, but you never know. Maybe one of Jack's kids will like cars more than their dad."

"I like cars just fine. From the driver's seat. What about Mary.. maybe she will want to take that over when she is old enough? She's good under a hood after all." Jack suggested. He had a feeling it was Dean's way of trying to make Jack and Sam stick together if he was gone.

"Oh absolutely. It's in receivership between the two of you until she's of age. And a college graduate." He was putting that in the will as a condition. "Then it gets split into thirds. And of course she's good. She's better than Sam actually."

"Okay. Makes sense." Sam said. "Glad this is just a ... precaution, you know... just that whole responsible impulse. Not like we have to really worry about it just yet. It's like life insurance."

"Exactly." Dean said. "And hey, what do yoy mean responsible impulse? Dude, I'm, like, completely responsible."

"Oh lord, I'm gonna need more coffee if we're going that route." Bobby said.

Jack laughed. "Yep, here we go again.""Hey." Sam said, indignantly. "You two have no idea about Dean. I mean it... no idea what so ever. This is the man that is responsible for everyone and everything but himself. "

Bobby laughed as he stiffly got up from the table. "You were the one that started it, Sammy." He said fondly as he clapped a still strong hand on the younger man's shoulder as he passed.

"He's got a point, Sam." Dean said, amused. "But it's cute, you three fighting over me. Now only if you were not related, younger and a whole lot prettier and female, my morning would be set."

"Whatever happened to that nurse whose number you got? One date only, huh? Must have been a keeper." Jack teased. "Or did she realize you are a middle aged player?"

"She has realized nothing of the sort." Dean said with a laugh. "Dude, you guys give me no credit. At all. And just for that, I'm not telling."

"Don't worry. I'll catch the skuttlebutt eventually." Jack said. "Hazards of working around the hospital. Of course if she hasn't realized you don't take dating seriously, gotta wonder about the IQ level."

"Fine.Let me know what the scuttlebutt is too." Dean said with amusement. "I like to know what the gossip is about me."

Bobby rolled his eyes as he came back with his coffee. "Back to business, boys? Before we delve into his sex life?"

As much as Sam wanted to avoid the the whole business at hand he knew he couldn't. "I'll grab my ghost buster gear and head out then." He said going to where they had always kept the camera andEMF gear. He gathered it together in a back pack and headed back into the kitchen to grab one last piece of sausage and another drink of his coffee. "I'll be back tonight."

"See you, be safe." Dean said.

Bobby shook his head and pointed at Jack. "I'll probably never forgive either you or Sam. Sticking me with two cranky pregnant women. And the reason they're pregnant, and therefore cranky, traces right back to you two hooligans."

"Hey... I'm not the one that pointed out we needed to up the timeline on this. Believe me, I would be more than happy to only leave you with one pregnant woman. But it's okay, Kaylie can't do a whole lot right now... except get up in the middle of the night to scrub the floors of all things.""Yeah but Rachel on the other hand... is at the newly hormonal stage. I'll be sure to bring you a couple bottles of bourbon before we go, Bobby." Sam said and then stepped into the shadows near the door, and disappeared from sight."That seriously just creeped me out." Jack said.

Dean winced. "It is creepy. But we'll get the information fast." Dean said. "So is Ben all set to do this?" Meaning man the homefront defense. Though it wouldn't have been a bad idea to have Ben on the front lines, Dean knew better than to ask.

"When last we talked, yes. " Jack said. "Although if Kaylie and Rachel are both giving him hell the whole time we are gone, we are going to have hell to pay when we get back."

"Nah, Sam will be the only one to pay. Kaylie can raise as much a fuss as she wants and he'll coddle her." Dean said with a laugh.

"Oooh that will go over well." Jack said with a chuckle. "Any way... back to business?" Bobby suggested one more time. It was like herding cats, keeping these boys on topic. Typical Winchester. Once the job started though, they were single minded, no matter how distracted they might seem to be now.

"Oh right." Dean said. "Okay, so where should we warehouse them? We could use my house. Or yours. Or Sam's. But that's a lot of people. Think Ben would volunteer one of his clubs? Like the sports bar one, that has a nice open floor, and bathrooms."

"Yeah but this is probably going to take days. I can't imagine exorcising Lucifer's right hand man is going to be as easy as cramming Sam's soul back in his body and that wasn't exactly easy." Jack said.

"We can pull in mattresses and everything. I'm just thinking here, I've got two bathrooms. Two bathrooms, seven kids, two pregnant women and Bobby." Dean said. "That's two toilets."

"And you boys will see when you get to be my age, the prostate reminds you of its existance." Bobby said with a chuckle.

"No bathtubs or showers at any of Ben's clubs that I am aware of. Maybe the strip club but that would be it. We'll talk to him and see what he has in mind. For all we know he will want to take them away to some deserted island some where."

"That would be Ben's idea." Bobby said with a laugh. "Not a bad idea, heat is good for these old joints."

"And you coulda been in South Dakota if you had had your way." Dean teased. "Okay, so that's taken care of, we'll leave it up to Ben. What else?"

"Getting the supplies together for the exorcism itself. We want all the details taken care of before hand. Anything that will make it easier for you boys."

"Okay, let's see." Dean said, going to the fridge and taking the list off it. Yes, Dean kept his list of supplies needed for a mondo exorcism on his fridge. Mary explained it away as a cautionary tale, if they complained about what he did buy for groceries, they'd have to eat the things on the list. "I think we've got most everything."

"Well, then I suggest you boys do what ever it is you do that will relieve the most stress over the next few days. Spend all the time you can with your loved ones because you can't afford to be distracted at all when this starts."

"That's a reason to pull them out of school." Dean said, chuckling. Though it would relieve some of his mind, that was for sure. "Maybe we should have a party."

"Sounds like a plan." Jack said. "Get the family together and not just for sunday dinner." He added. "Go somewhere fun for a weekend or something."

"Exactly." Dean said. "A nice, normal family holiday." Families gave their members parties before they went off to war, right? It was normal. It wasn't forboding.

"Sounds good. Something else to talk to Ben about. I bet he will be all over a vacation. Even if it is only for a day or two." Jack said.

"I'll be all over what?" Ben asked, coming in trailed by the most hideous looking demon, who played up his hideousness with multi colored hair and weird body jewelry.

"Family vacation" Jack said, "Hey, hows it going?" he said to the demon as if he were an old family friend.

"Ben shafted me last night at poker." The demon said mournfully. "So I'm paying him back."

"Family vacation? Sounds fun. Some place hot, right? None of that skiing crap?" Ben said. "This is Tim. He's going to take care of the scars. Where's Mary?"

"School." Dean said.

"School? Man, now we've gotta wait." Ben said.

"Warm is good. Once Mary's scars are taken care of anyway." Jack said. "Swimming as a teenager with scars isnt exactly fun." He pointed out. "So...you guys sort out Mary, I have a family to sort out for a vacation, and Ben can pick the hot spot in question, baring in mind that we humans need to not cook all the time."

"You did fine with your scars." Ben said. Sure, he wasn't exactly flashing the neighborhood, and he didn't exactly know how long Kaylie and Jack were dating before she got to see them(and wasn't exactly sure it had happened before they became sexually active for that matter). "Well, Dean will pull her out of school for an appointment, she can go back after. Seriously, I got this guy on a limited time."

Dean sighed. "Fine, I'll go get her"

"I'm a guy, and my scars are on my chest, not scattered all over the place where long pants and long sleeves and heavy makeup are the only way to hide them." Jack pointed out. "And teenaged girls ... are vicious. Likespitting cobras. She will catch all kinds of hell if she shows them once the sympathy phase wears off."

"That's where Tim comes in. And my poker games that you boys continually mock." Ben said as Dean grabbed his keys to go get his daughter.

"Gotta admit the imagery is pretty funny from over here." Bobby said. "Yeah...should have seen it when it would rotate over to our place when I was growing up. It was better than television. Learned some interesting words that way too." Jack said.

"I bet." Bobby said with a laugh.

"It wasn't always just demons. Had a few angels in there, half breeds, spirits, a witch doctor or two." Ben said with a laugh. "The angels were the ones with the real mouths. So you kids are doing this sooner rather than later?"

"Yeah." Jack said. "With the attack on Mary, we can't really afford to wait. Who knows who will wind up the next target or if they will be as lucky as she was?"

"Good point." Ben said. "We'll go to the island. It's easy to fortify like you guys need to. Lots of fresh air, it'll be fine."

"Cool we'll tell the guys when they get back. Sam is out scoping a few things."

"Is he now?" Ben asked. Wasn't sure he liked that idea, but not like he could protest. Had to be done after all.

Dean had Mary called to the principal's office. "Come on, kiddo. We got ah...a sudden appointment with the...ah...plastic surgeon."

"Wow... already... okay." She said. "Ahm... let's leave a note for Kevin so he doesn't freak out when I'm not there at lunch." Mary suggested. "Gotta go back to my locker anyway."

"Sounds good." Dean said as they headed to her locker. "How's the first day back been going? Anyone I have to beat up?"

"No... no one you need to beat up. And you don't have to worry about the concert either. He cancelled on me before I had the chance to tell him I couldn't go anyway so... it's all good." She put away her books and wrote a note for Kevin and grabbed a magnet to put it on Kevin's locker door with.

"Well, how about a family vacation?" Dean offered. "Then Ben's gonna take you guys to an island. That'll be nice, right?"

"Sure." She said, even though there was no enthusiasm. She figured it would be fun, and she would get into it when the time came. She figured she knew why she had been dumped. And it was dumped because she had heard Carrie Haggarty talking excitedly about being asked to go. "Vacation would be good." Right then she didn't think she would mind missing the rest of the year entirely.

Dean sighed. "Boys are stupid." He said as they dropped off the note at Kevin's locker. "Just a warning. This guy is the fugliest demon I've ever seen."

"I guess I can deal with that." She said, referring to the demon. "There are worse things than ugly...and who knows... for his breed of demon he might be a real catch. Who knows." She sighed. "He's already asked someone else to go." She told him. "He cancelled this morning... I don't think it took him more than an hour to find a replacement."

Dean just nodded. Wasn't a whole lot he could say. He used to be that guy after all. And in some ways, he still could be. "Might hurt. I don't know. But Ben said he'd bring Kaylie by while it's happening."Right then Mary was starting to think that Tessa was right and boys were icky. Absolutely terribly icky. "Yeah, okay." She answered quietly. She would tolerate the pain, no matter how great it was, to be rid of the scars. She had seen the looks she was getting since coming back to school. She had never wanted to be invisible before. "It'll be good to see Kaylie. Where do you think we'll go on vacation?"

"I was thinking one of those resort type places. That have the amusement park inside and all that. Fun for everyone." Dean said. It was the best he could think of. One place that had something everyone would enjoy.

She nodded. "Okay. Tessa would have a blast. That could be fun." She smiled. "Especially with the little ones along. Kaylie won't be able to go on any rides but I bet she could get into one of those spa things and get a real back rub. I bet she needs it."

"I bet she does. Took your mom to a hotel when she was about eight months pregnant with you. She sat in the whirlpool with the jets aimed at her back for, god, had to be eight hours." Dean said with a laugh.

"I can imagine. I wish I had known her." She said, normally she didn't bring that up. But right then she felt her mother's absence very keenly.

"And she wanted to know you." Dean said. "She was...completely wonderful. Of course, you know, the hiding out in graveyards and going to a motel with a guy you just met isn't something I want to recommend, at all." He said with a laugh. "She had her own way about things."

"I guess so." She said with a smile. She would talk to Kaylie about it all when the shaman was done. Kaylie would understand. Maybe... she had been with Jack forever, she might not understand the guy thing at all, but she would probably understand better than her dad. Guys didn't get it because they were guys and that was just how it was. Wasn't a failing on her dad's part, it was just different.

"I'll always love her." Dean said as they reached the car. "Probably why I kept her crappy Stevie Nicks' albums." He said with a laugh. He pushed one of Mary's curls behind her ear as she buckled her seatbelt. "You're going to be okay, kiddo."

"I know Dad. It's not really about whether or not I'll be okay. It's just gonna hurt for a while is all." She shrugged. "I really liked him... thought he really liked me too. What I get for thinking, I guess. So... let's get home and get this magical plastic surgery going, shall we?"

"Absolutely." Dean said. At least this was something he could do to make his daughter feel better as they pulled into the driveway.

"Finally." Ben said, when they came in. "Mary, Tim. Tim, Mary." He said as Kaylie awkwardly got up from the chair, Benji playing on the floor with the dogs, the only kid not old enough to go to school yet.

"Sorry, my principal was less than happy at me going home today." Mary said and extended her hand to Tim. "Nice to meet you." She said. "I appreciate what you are gonna do."

"Ben here has a way of collecting debts." Tim said with a laugh.

"Come on." Kaylie said. "Let's go up to your room and get this done." She said as she guided Mary up the stairs to her room.

Mary let Kaylie direct her up the stairs. She was nervous about the process. What if it didn't work? She didn't like to think of herself as vain, or shallow. Of course she hadn't thought her friends were shallow either. Or her boyfriend.

Kaylie held Mary's hands as the process started. And it was painful. "So, how's school?" Kaylie asked to distract Mary, as the demonic shaman's fire hot hands ran along the scars.

"It sucks." Mary said tightly, holding the screams inside and only letting out the occasional whimper. She knew if her father heard a scream he would be breaking down the door to get to her and that couldn't be good. "Too many boys." She grumbled.

"Uh oh." Kaylie said, squeezing Mary's hand. "What happened? Is it Joey?" She asked, knowing they were casually dating before the accident.

"He asked me to a concert yesterday, and I asked Dad... but you know what Dad said... thing is I didn't even have a chance to tell him Dad said no. He dumped me this morning and had another date before lunch."

"Boys suck." Kaylie agreed. "Okay, tell you what. He was a jerk. Jerks deserve their comeuppance. So, once Tim here is done, we're going shopping. I really need to shop for something not maternity or baby related anyway. We'll get you a pair of those low riding jeans, a cute little top...hide it in your book bag," since she knew Dean wouldn't approve, being a father and all, "change at school and flirt mercilessly with either his best friend or someone he has a stupid rivalry with."

Mary couldn't help but smile a little. "That's evil. I love it. Dad just didn't understand." She said. "He tried, but he's a guy." She knew just who to flirt with too. It was a rival but he wasn'ta bad sort. In fact her dad might actually like him... in a couple of years.

"It's very evil." Tim said. "This is why I don't get involved with women. Or humans for that matter." He joked.

"Oh be quiet. Works the same for gay demons too." Kaylie said with a laugh. "Of course your dad didn't understand. He's a guy, and he's a dad. The part of him he'd never admit to you was probably thrilled you got dumped. Mad that you were upset about it, but thrilled at the same time. Doesn't make him a bad guy, just makes him a dad."

She humphed "I love my dad... I will always love my dad, but I am definitely through trying to fix him up. He's the same sort of guy where dating is concerned. No woman I would want him to bring home deserves that.""Same sort, but the reasoning is different. Your dad thinks if he doesn't connect, it won't hurt when they leave. If he leaves first, it won't hurt." Kaylie said. If Mary hadn't been born, after Dean lost Chavi, they all probably would have lost Dean. After Sam left, if he hadn't had Jack, there wouldn't be Dean. And if Sam wasn't there when John died, Dean would have followed him right after. That sort of intensity scared Kaylie a bit, but she understood why Dean would shy away from it."But he's wrong. It does hurt." Mary said "Might not hurt forever but it hurts." She shrugged a little. "And it hurts him too... cause unlike Joey, Dad isn't shallow. He wants more than that... even if he is afraid of it."

"Well, let's not worry about fixing your dad right now." Kaylie said. "Let's go for instant gratification and make Joey green with jealousy." She stopped Tim when he got to the scar where they had taken her spleen out. "Leave that one, just fade it a whole lot." She instructed. "Mary, you need some sort of scar to explain why you're missing your spleen after all."

She nodded. "Yeah I guessI can deal with that." She said. A few scars she could handle just not... all of them all over all at once. "Dad is the only one that can fix Dad. I know that. Joey however... has to learn a lesson. "

"And we'll definitely teach him a lesson." Kaylie said with a laugh as Tim finished up.

"Okay, you can get dressed now. I'm going to go tell Ben that we're even now." Tim said as he cracked his knuckles, standing up.

"Thank you." Mary said. "Even if it was just because you owed Ben." It felt good to be able to move freely again, to not have the constant itch of new scars, or the pain when they were bumped into.

"The redness will fade in a few hours. Be careful in the sun for the next few days." Tim explained. "And have fun with your pay back." He said as he left to tell the men downstairs that Mary was fine.

Bobby was relieved, knowing that it had to be hard for the girl and hobbled his way over to the phone as it rang. He sighed then. "Dean... it's the school, they can't locate Sam obviously so they are calling you... it's about Kevin."

"Kevin?" Dean asked, surprised, as he went to the phone. "This is Dean Winchester. No, my brother had to go out of town unexpectedly on business. His cell might be out of range." He said, then he listened. "What? Are you sure? Kevin? Our Kevin? Really? Wow. Yeah, I'll come get him." He said and tried not to chuckle as he hung up the phone. "Kevin got himself in a fight."

Bobby raised an eyebrow. "A fight? Sam isn't going to like that one." He said, finding it amusing just how much Sam was turning out like John... and how much Dean wasn't.

"Yup. A good old fashioned fist fight." Dean said with a grin. "Sam is not going to be happy. Me? I love it. He beat the crap out of the guy who upset Mary, so...it's all good." He looked at Jack. "You'll understand when Abby starts dating, even when you tell her not to."

"Oh I am sure I will." He said as he scooped up his son. "We'll have to give Kevin all the praise he can handle before his father gets home, so get him back here and I will see about ordering pizza or something."

Dean chuckled and grabbed his car keys. "Sounds good to me. We'll pick up soda and beer on the way back." He said as Kaylie and Mary (dressed in her normal clothing, without the need to cover every scrap of skin) came down the stairs.

"We're going shopping." Kaylie said with a smile.

"You know, I don't think that's a good idea..." Dean said, ever paranoid.

"Jack!" Kaylie called to her husband. "Distract your brother."

"Dean... go get Kevin before he further proves he is a real Winchester and tells the principal he knows about his visits to Ben's club. The ladies will be fine going to the mall. They have a vacation to shop for after all."

Dean sighed. "Fine." He said. "Check in. A lot."

"Of course." Kaylie said. "Come on, Mary. You can drive, you fit behind a steering wheel better than I do right now."

Dean drove back to the school and into the principal's office. And winked at Kevin before sitting down. "So. A fight? That's it?"

"Thats it? Mr. Winchester, fighting is something we take seriously here. If everyone got into a fight because someone broke up with a relative of theirs, we would be in utter chaos all the time. "

"Or maybe the kids wouldn't be as shallow and disrespectful." Dean said with a raised eyebrow. "Boys fight. It's what they do." God knew he'd done it enough. "Was the other kid seriously hurt? Possibly disfigured?"

"Certainly not permanently disfigured. Busted lip, black eye, bloody nose, possible bruised ribs, certainly worse for the wear than Kevin here."

"Too bad. Guess Joey learned an important lesson on ducking." Dean said. "So he's suspended for a couple of days then? While he's not here, he'll be doing plenty of manual labor at home, don't worry."

"Two weeks suspension. And you might want to warn your brother that Joey's parents aren't impressed with the lesson their son was taught today. "

"Joey's parents are welcome to try." Dean said as he stood up and motioned for Kevin to do the same. "Cause you know what? I still exchange Christmas cards with my lawyer." He said, knowing the principal would know who he was talking about. His trial was infamous around these parts, and Regan was infamous on her own terms besides.

Kevin got to his feet and followed Dean out of the room grinning for the pricipal, even if that grin faded as soon as the door closed behind him. "Did I just get Dad into trouble?" He asked.

"No." Dean said. "However, Sam's probably going to try to smack me around for the way I talked to the principal." He said with a chuckle. "Your dad's out of town right now, checking on some stuff. So before he gets home, I just want to say way to go. Jack's ordering pizza, and Bobby's making the ice packs. How's your hand feeling?"

"Numb but stiff. I bet that whole numb part is going to wear off soon, isnt it?" He said. "And Dad is going to want to kill me." He shook his head. "How's Mary doing?" He asked.

"Mary is out shopping." Dean said. "Ben found some guy with scar erasing mojo who owed him big money, and cashed in. He raised Jack after all, he knows what scars can do to a teenager." He said with a shrug. "Your hand is gonna hurt like a son of a bitch later, but it'll be fine. So what made you hit him?"

"He treated Mary like crap." Kevin said with an excited offended tone that only a teenager could produce. "He just dumped her cause he didn't want a girl friend with scars. And didn't even have the decency to wait a couple days to replace her. It's like she was nothing important. Just some chick. "

"And he's gonna feel real stupid when she goes to school with no scars." Dean said. And he hoped his daughter wasn't stupid enough to take him back. "But that's not what I asked. What made you hit him? Did you just go up to him and slug him or did he say something?"

Kevin's jaw twitched. "He said she was a freak." He told him. "I heard him talking to his buddy about why he dumped Mary for Carrie. And I decked him. Of course he took exception to being hit and it was on."

"Well good for you. I would have slugged him too." Dean said as he took out his cell phone. "Regan Bruner please." He said, trying to hide the chuckle. "Dean Winchester calling." He said as he was patched through.

"Dean, I hope you aren't calling me with your one and only phone call." She said with a chuckle. He didn't tend to call her at the office, which meant this was a professional call.

"You would love it if I called you from the police department. That would mean I had a nice interesting case for you." Dean said with a laugh. "I have a much more ordinary one, it's not even a case yet, but it probably will be."

"Oh? What's happened? Someone suing the garage or something?" She asked, although she couldn't imagine it being the case. Dean was far too obliging. Something wasn't done right, he would fix it. Pride in his craft after all.

"My sixteen year old nephew got in a fight with my daughter's ex boyfriend when he called Mary a freak. The other kid lost, and the parents are talking about suing because their son is a wimp. Thought you might like the chance to scare some weak people."

"Ah... more people wanting to suck a few extra dollars they don't deserve. Please tell me the kid didn't put him in the hospital. That might be a bit harder to scare them out of."

"Nope. From what I hear, black eye, busted lip, bruised ribs, bleeding nose. Like I said, he's a wimp. Probably called his mother whining as soon as Kevin was pulled off." Dean said. "Think you can keep them quiet?"

"I think so. I will go and talk to the principal and start taking depositions. Sometimes obvious preparation goes a long way toward making people rethink their position."

"Let it slip that I might sue them for their son slandering my daughter." Dean said. Not that he would, but sometimes it was just the thought that counted. "Let me know how it goes, I've got a celebration to get to. Kid's first fight after all."

"I think that can be arranged." She said. "It wouldn't hold up in court but most parents wouldn't know that. Unless they are lawyers in which case I will crucify them for wasting the court's time."

"That's my girl." Dean said with a laugh. "Come on, admit it finally once and for all. You like me."

"Dean... I don't like anybody." She said laughing as well. "I'll send you my bill." She told him and hung up.

Dean was still laughing as he hung up. "She likes me. She does." He said to Kevin. "Okay so two weeks suspension. You got a choice. You could possibly get away with not telling him, seeing as we'll be pulling you out of school until this is over any way. Or you could man up to it and face the consequences."

"You're kidding right... do you know what he would do to me if he found out from some one other than me? No way. I'll fess up. " Kevin said. "Dad doesn't like secrets."

"Good man." Dean said as they pulled into the house. Bobby looked up from a book as they came in.

"Hey there Slugger." Bobby teased.

Kevin laughed and blushed a bit. He looked around and didn't see his cousin. "We don't have to tell Mary what he said, do we? I'd rather she thought I was just being a jerk or something."

"We're definitely not telling Mary what he said." Dean said. She was sensitive enough right now. "Like I told the principal. Boys fight. It's what we do."

"Some more than others." Bobby said. "But your dad was known to get tossed out of school for a few days, don't let him fool you. Dean wasn't the only scrapper in high school."

Jack grinned. "Perfect Sam? Wow I had the impression he was all citizenship awards and Honor Roll." He shook his head. "Can't say I should be surprised, even if I am . Winchester blood runs hot... and it apparently transfers with the name. Along with that over protective streak."

"Overprotective and hot headed? Nah, you got the wrong family." Bobby said, laughing.

"Oh absolutely the wrong family." Dean said. "We're nice and calm and sedate...always thinking clearly..."

"My adoption papers are clearly wrong then." Kevin said with a grin.


	7. Chapter 7

Sam took his time, exploring both locations in detail. His brothers' lives could depend on the smallest detail. He thought he could feel the darkness seeping from the ground, from the tomb stones, the trees.

He kept expecting his demonic father to creep out from around the next corner, make some threat or plea. But it never happened. And strangely that worried him. Where was the son of a bitch if not guarding his special site? It made no sense.

He was, of course, being watched. But not by the yellow eyed demon. By a lieutenant of sorts. From outside the boundaries of both sites, from the shadows. Watching, and remembering. Every last detail was to be reported back. Oh but his master was good. Every move so far had been predicted down to the littlest detail. From the times to what gravestones Sam would stoop to look at. As if this was all scripted, and he was watching a play.

Sam finished each site with pictures. Filling several memory cards with images before returning to Dean's kitchen with the cameras, tape recorders, he hadn't listened to the tapes yet. Figured there would be time to do that later. TheEMF findings had been recorded in exacting detail.

He sat things down on the counter. "Oh hey. Pizza. Good. " Sam said grabbing a couple of pieces and heading into the living room.

Dean saw Sam, and glanced at Kevin quickly. "Hey." He said to his brother. "Get it all?" He said as Kevin started to positively fidget with his plate and his soda.

"Yeah." Sam said suddenly distracted. "It's on the counter... Why do you have a black eye?" He asked his son directly. This couldn't bode well. Especially when Kevin was home long before school was out.

Kevin looked for all the world like a deer caught in headlights. "I..um...gotinafightbutitwasn'tmyfault." He said in a rush, and Sam asked him repeat it. "I got in a fight." He said simply this time.

Sam set his plate down and reached for a beer instead. "Okay... You got in a fight... I am guessing the rest of that gush was something about not being your fault or the other guy deserved it... So why don't you give me the details?" He said staring at his oldest boy. He was not at all pleased with this latest development. Fighting usually meant that there was something else wrong. He knew. He had been there enough.

Kevin sighed. At least Mary wasn't home yet so he didn't have to hedge his words. So he started from the beginning, which was right before homeroom. Then overhearing Joey saying Mary was a freak, up to where Dean came to get him. Leaving out Dean's mouth in the principal's office of course. "What was I supposed to do? Ask him very nicely to shut his mouth?"

Sam sighed. "It's what your supposed to do... Unfortunately what you are supposed to do and what really works are two different things in cases like this." He shook his head. "You know I can't just let you off the hook for this?"

"You could. If you really wanted to." Kevin said. "I'm suspended for two weeks from school." He said dejectedly, waiting for the rest of it.

"Which works out perfect, for when we have to pull them out to deal with our little situation anyway. I can fudge Mary, it's just the rest of them we have to think up excuses for." Dean said. "And no, he cannot work off his debt to society in my shop." Because Kevin and cars didn't mix.

"Oh no... I wouldn't do that to you." He shook his head. "The idiot actually said Mary was a freak?" He sighed. "Okay... You realize that your mom isn't going to let you off the hook even if I were going to?"

Kevin slumped. "Yeah, I know." Kevin said. "Wasn't like I'm going around bullying people though."

"And I got Regan on retainer just in case they decide to sue." Dean said.

"Because people are stupid." Bobby added. "Back in my day, hell back in your days too, no one sued over a school fight."

"Yeah I know. I think we are going to need to work out some of that anger you and Simon have before I stick you in a lock down situation with a thin skinned Demon." Sam said. "So I think the three of us are going camping before the family vacation."

"Dad, I'm fine with Ben." Kevin said. He still had issues, but he thought he was remarkably mature in dealing with them. "I'm not the one that shot him."

"No, but you are the one that just pounded someone into the pavement for calling someone names."

"No, I pounded him into the lockers." Kevin said with a sigh. "I'm sure there's a difference. I was defending her. Now if anyone calls her a freak just because she has some scars, they know they have to deal with me. Thought families stood up for each other?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"They do. Question is do you want to go camping with Me and Simon, or do you want to stay home for the next three days and deal with your mother's ideas on things? You know... the social worker who is pretty much a pacifist at heart unless its an evil demon or a spider."

"Then I'm definitely going camping." Kevin said.

"This is why I have girls. If Mary gets in a fight, I get an ego boost out of the fact that she doesn't really hit too much like a girl." Dean said with a laugh. "What are you going to do when Mark starts fighting?" He asked Jack.

"Probably depends on why he started fighting. Kaylie isn't as much of a pacifist as Rachel thankfully. " Jack said with a laugh. "And she kills her own spiders."

"Kaylie is definitely not a pacifist." Dean said laughing. "Sam, I ever tell you what happened when we were in Hong Kong?" He said, still chuckling at the memory of it. "So I'm tied to a chair, right, and this goon is threatening me, yammering on, then he drops. Because Kaylie broke a vase over his head."

"That's my girl." Jack said with a broad smile. "She ripped Ben off to get the funds to get out there to come after me too. I was impressed. "

Sam laughed. "You know... somehow that doesn't surprise me." He said. "So how did the visit with the demonic plastic surgeon go?" He asked.

"It went so well Mary's at the mall right now with Kaylie racking up charges on my credit card." Dean said. "Remember the days when we didn't worry about paying off the balances of whatever credit card we were using at the time?"

"Yeah . I do. Of course we were also worried about the feds on our tail, and the psycho hunters that wanted my head. I'm thinking its a good trade. Then again.. I have sons."

Bobby laughed. "Don't get into that argument over what is better, daughters or sons. Because Jack automatically wins." Bobby said, seeing as Jack had a daughter and two sons.

"Having daughters gives you a reason to keep your sharpshooting skills nice and intact." Dean said with a grin.

"I've never been threatened with getting shot." Kevin said. On the whole two dates he'd been on in his life.

"That's because you date girls whose fathers live in the every day normal world. If you dated a hunter's daughter... you would be threatened with being shot, trust me. If you ever have a sister... I will threaten to shoot her dates."

"Nice." Kevin said.

"So what are you going to do when Abby's old enough to date?" Bobby asked Jack, amused by the conversation. He'd never had kids, not really. He was an adopted uncle, and had taken care of Dean and Sam single handedly before when they were kids, but he was never really a parent.

"Any boy willing to date a girl that will have a black belt by 12, plays with fire for fun... definitely has to be shot before he spends any time alone with my daughter."

Dean laughed. "Yeah, because that means he'll probably be an incarnation of ME." He said as he leafed through some books and records, still doing research idly. Not a moment to waste after all. "So I was thinking big family vacation at one of those resorts that has everything. Amusement parks, bars, even a massage table for pregnant women."

"I can get behind that idea." Jack said with a nod.

"So can my old joints." Bobby added with a laugh. "Sothe boys get to go camping with their father before going on vacation. If Sam is anything like his father, he is going to need that vacation when they get back. That and a bottle of scotch."

"Yeah I remember those camping trips." Dean said with a laugh. "Put me off camping for a very long time."

"So maybe I should stay with Rachel then?" Kevin asked worriedly.

"Miss out on some heavy duty training just to do extra chores ?" Sam asked. "I might let you. After all I know how much you love doing chores. What sort of father would I be to keep you from such a beloved activity?"

"Man... You're still evil. " Jack teased.

"He inherited that directly from Dad." Dean said. "We'll see how you are when Mark hits sixteen, I'm not so sure it's all environmental." He didn't know how Ben was when Jack was sixteen after all. For all he knew, Ben was worse!

"Fine." Kevin said, laughing. "I'll go camping! Sheesh, love the reverse psychology."

"On the bright side, I am not going to take you to the middle of the woods, drop you off with a compass and bed roll and tell you to meet me back at base camp in three days." Sam said. "Although to be fair Dad had that spirit chasing him and figured we would be safer out in the woods alone than with him. Do you remember that trip, Dean?"

"Which one was that? The one where you kept waking me up because you were afraid of the trees?" Dean asked. "Or the one where you sprained your ankle running away from a rabbit?"

"That was the same camping trip. Cut me some slack... I was 8 for crying out loud. And you kept telling me scary stories as we were walking, what did you expect me to do?" He asked with a grin. "I had nightmares for a week."

"Yeah I know." Bobby said. "You had them at my house." He grumbled, suppressing a grin as he remembered John's response to Dean's antics. The boy had spent a good deal of time out there helping Bobby work on cars instead of running off to play. John didn't like his sleep disturbed. Especially not when it meant one of his boys was scared.

"Anyway," Dean said, laughing at the memory of it all, "I'm sure your camping trip will go much better. And our vacation will be nothing like that."

"I should hope so." Jack said with a chuckle. "Did he really ditch you guys in the woods at 12 and 8 years old?"

"Dean knew what he was doing, Dad had placed stashes of food and water out there for us to find so we wouldn't have to carry it all, and well... There was something after him that would have torn us apart and had us for lunch. Not that I understood that until years later when we found his old journals. He didn't bother to tell us that, so of course I resented the hell out of it."

"Dad wasn't really known for explaining his reasons for, well, just about anything." Dean admitted. "But it turned out well. I did know what I was doing. Including the stories, distracted the hell out of him. So how long you guys going to be out in the middle of nowhere?"

"Two... Three days. Want to make sure to get some of Simon's aggression dealt with and a little more training in for Kevin before... Well... Before." While he had the chance.

Bobby nodded gravely. He understood. Everyone in the room understood in fact. "Well, I've got some of my supplies if Simon needs to borrow them. Not like I'll be using them. Me and the cold ground don't get along so well anymore."

"That would be great. I haven't had a chance to get him any camping gear. " He said with a nod. "So if you are through celebrating assault and battery, let's go get everything ready to go. We leave first thing in the morning."

"First thing?" Kevin said. That didn't sound pleasant.

"Oh come on, Sam. Remember the first big fight you got in? With someone other than me, that is." Dean said. "Dad took us out to dinner, and you got your first shot of tequila. At least we kept him sober!"

"Yeah... Well... Dad and I aren't as much alike as people like to think. And it was because I got jumped if you remember correctly. I didn't start it... I sure as hell finished it though." He said with a grin.

"But remember, that smile on your dad's face isn't saying that fighting is okay, or even an ego booster." Bobby said, giving Kevin a wink. "Fighting is very bad, even if he is still grinning like an idiot over the memory."

"Yeah... And my dad made sure I understood that too the first time I ever started a fight." Sam pointed out. "Well, first one that didn't involve Dean. We went camping." He said.

"Don't look at me. I put food in his mouth after Dad disappeared by winning bar fights." Dean said with a laugh. "He didn't complain about it then."

"No, you put food on the table by sharking pool, and winning the bar fights it brought on was purely for fun." Sam said.

"You two are scary, you know that?" Jack said. "The only time I have gotten into fights outside of competition was some creep hitting on Kaylie. Not counting the whole magically drugged out phase."

"Oh that whole magically drugged out phase when you took me on." Dean said with a laugh. "And lost by the way."

"Yeah, I had to be drugged to lose, and distracted by Kaylie." He added. "But hey, I'm going home, and explain that it would be a bad thing for Mark to go camping too." He laughed.

Dean laughed. "Winning's winning." He said. "I'll send Kaylie on home once she and my daughter are finished spending all my money."

"And mine." Jack said as he picked up his son. "I'll swing by after the kids are in bed to see what Sam found out at the sites. Right now I have to go pick up Abby."

"Bye Benji!" Dean called out with a wave as he read the book he was reading, flipping through pages. "So anything interesting Sam? Which one do you think it is? Gut feeling."

"Gut feeling they both made my skin crawl." He said as he got out his lap top and started todown loadthe pictures from the camera. " And I was being watched in both locations." He said.

"Nice." Dean said as he took out his own laptop to down load the audio files onto. "Well, we should have expected that, to say the least. OKay, loading all the sound files up,running them through the filter. Anything interesting in your pictures? Naked girls?"

"No naked girls. You know, youreally should get over your pervert stage at some point." Sam said as he connected the printer to his computer and started to print out the pictures to the first site so that he could lay it out on the dining room table.

"Why would I do that?" Dean said with a smirk. "Okay, almost done filtering." He looked at the pictures. "Wow, look at those orbs around the gates."

"Yeah I know." Sam said as he lay the pictures out to give a panoramic view of the grave yard. "Usually grave yards are quiet places. This one isa hot spot for orbs and streaks, fog moving the wrong way. "

Bobby looked at the pictures. "Come on over here, Kevin. Might as well learn to do this." He said as he picked up one photo, then another, his eyes not being what they once were. He needed to hold them not too far away from his nose to focus on them. "Sections of light in both of them. Seem to be near these crypts or mausoleums. What's in those?"

"In both locations." Sam said. "They have an ornate locking mechanism. Looks like it was designed to keep the bad guys out."

"And they want in." Dean said with a shake of his head. "Okay, loading up the EVP." There wasn't much on it that they could make out. Moaning for the most part, some screams. "Well, that should keep the little ones up."

"The dead are restless around there, probably because of all the demonic activity... all the trying to get in. I couldn't tell exactly what was blocking it in New Orleans, but this one seems to be surrounded by rail road tracks... a lot of cold iron..."

"Iron would definitely keep the demons out." Dean said.

"All the holy artifacts would keep them out of the other one." Bobby said, circling different things on the pictures of New Orleans. "When Hurricane Katrina swept through some twenty odd years ago, this cemetery was untouched. Not evena gravestone toppled."

"That's pretty powerful mojo." Sam said. "So we have to sort out what exactly is in there that the demon is after. I know he is after something from both locations... but if we can narrow the what down... correspond it with the local legends and all maybe we can figure out his hot spot and lure him there."

"New Orleans has too many legends and myths to go through in one lifetime." Bobby said. "You name it, it's there. It's a mystical and spiritual hotspot for just about everything. The other one..." He grabbed books and leafed through them. "A cemetary founded by Samuel Colt, yes that Colt."

Sam swore. "Why does that sound like way too much of a coincidence?" He said. "Regardless we are going to have to go back there and sort out what's going on."

"Yeah." Dean said. "But first we have to deal with the demon. So let's sort through which one he'd hit first. Samuel Colt designed the Colt, which is the only man made weapon that can kill him. But New Orleans is full of such...stuff...so much, that we'd never get through it."

"I know." Sam said with a sigh and took a seat. "Question is how. The colt wasn't made for him in specific. At least not as far as we can tell. It was a weapon made for a demon hunter. It may have absolutely nothing to do with him over all."

"Which means it might just be a distraction. The whole Colt connection." Dean said. "Okay, we'll hit New Orleans first, it's closer anyway."

"Okay then. I go camping for the weekend. We take the family out on vacation, then we are off to New Orleans. " Sam said with a nod. "Well... I need to get the camping gear together. I'm gonna need the vacation after this weekend."

"YeahI bet." Dean said. "We gotta think of something to do for Kaylie and Rachel, them being pregnant and all.So think of that while you got Kevin here chopping wood."

"Yeah, I know." Sam said. "I'll get the boys thinking about it too. That should be entertaining at least"

"Hey!" Kevin exclaimed.

Sam chuckled. "We will see you guys in a few days. Come on, let's go pick up your brother and let Rachel know what's going on."

"See ya." Dean said with a laugh as he and Bobby hit the books again.

Rachel had taken half the day off, and went shopping. For little baby things. Nothing too extreme, like a crib or anything. It was too early for that. But little toys, little bibs, cute little outfits, everything was so little.

Sam dialed her cell phone number as they sat waiting for Simon to join them in the truck. He really didn't want to punish either boy. It was more father son time. He wanted them to have something to remember just in case things went south. Sure he was going to train them hard and work them hard, but he would make sure there was fun had as well.

Rachel answered her phone, recognizing the number. "Don't tell me your brother cut you loose for the day." She said with a chuckle. "Is he feeling all right?"

"Yeah, they took care of Mary's scars today and we have a location now... so we are getting prepared for that. But while I was out investigating demonic cemeteries, our eldest son was getting into his first knock down drag out fight... because of Mary's boyfriend calling her a freak. Can't say I blame him but he is suspended."

"What? He got in a fight? Is he okay?" Rachel asked. "Is the other boy all right? Sam, you can't be okay with this. He started a fight! Over words! What's next? Him packing heat to school in case someone cuts in front of him in the lunch line?"

"I'm not okay with it... " he said with a sigh. "But at the same time, the jerk treated her badly. " He told her. "Look... My dad used to take Dean and I camping when we would get out of control. A lot of chopping wood and hard core training to work out the aggressions. So the boys and I are going camping before the family vacation."

Rachel sighed. "I just don't get the whole pull to violence thing." She said, playing with the anti possession charm around her neck. "But okay, camping sounds fun. I'll sit at home, nice and warm, and think of you fondly." She teased.

Sam laughed. "You better." He said. "I love you. " He couldn't believe he was this lucky. To find this sort of love twice in his life, was an amazing blessing.

"And I love you more." Rachel said. "Just be careful, all right? I know how you camp, you've told me the stories."

"We'll be careful, I promise." He said. "Don't forget to salt the doors when you lock them, same with the windows." They had central heat and air for a reason. Meant that the windows stayed closed and the salt stayed in place, but sometimes it would get broken up in the cleaning process.

"Absolutely." Rachel said. "Any other honey do's?" She teased affectionately.

"Oh just...Make sure you have the time off for thevacation and go shoppingfor what ever it is you need before we go..." He didn't begin to understand the need for all new things for a vacation. Then again, Sam didn't really comprehend an honest to God vacation.

"I'll get everything we need, don't worry." Rachel said with a laugh. "I'll even have everything packed nice and neat for everyone before you even get back from your camping trip."

"How did I ever get so lucky as to find a woman like you?" He asked motioning Simon to join them in the truck. "I'll see you when we get back. My camping gear is at Dean's so we will be heading out from there."

"See you when you get back." Rachel said as Simon got in the truck.

"What's up?" He asked. They looked...expectant...almost.

Sam said his good byes, and turned to his youngest son. "We're going camping. Don't get too excited... It's more training and a chance to work out some aggression before thefamily vacation..." He said.

"Yeah, and who's going to take that Ben camping to work out its aggression?" Simon asked, as his hopes of a nice relaxing camping trip were dashed. That slipped out before he could stop himself.

"And this is why we are going to be training all weekend." Sam said with a nod. "Well... Along with a little fishing and probably some marshmallows... But ... Mostly training. Look... I know what you saw... And I don't doubt that you saw it. But trust me... Visions aren't always what they appear to be. "

"Yeah, and sometimes they are!" Simon said as his brother smacked him upside the head. Kevin had spent a lot of time pounding it into Simon's head that Sam and his brothers needed to face down their own personal literal demon, and that they all had to be safe while they did that. And the safest place for them to be was under Ben's protection.

"And wecan deal with that once this entiremess is over. For nowBen is the only one that is going to be able to keep anyone safe while we are out fighting something a good deal bigger. I know you don't like it. But you are going to have to suckit up and deal with it."

Simon slouched down in his seat at that repimand. He didn't like it at all. But somehow he knew that Sam wasn't budging on that subject, and Kevin (no big fan of Ben's himself) was shooting him death glares. "Fine. Whatever. So where are we going camping?"

Sam sighed and told him where they were going, wondering if this was how his father had felt all the time he was growing up. "Simon... I don't want to fight this trip, okay?" He said. "I know we have to agree to disagree about this until after the yellow eyed demon is taken care of. Then we can talk about it more and see what we can come up with, all right? I need you boys to be ready for anything while I am gone. That means I have to cram a lot of training into you in a short period of time. It's not so much punishment as it's going to feel like. I just need you focused and ready." Maybe he should be the one to take a deep breath and explain from time to time. Might soften a few sharp edges between him and his youngest son.

"I know." Simon said. "I'll keep quiet on the Ben subject. Promise." Kevin smiled and teasingly ruffled his hair, as Simon batted away his hand and tried to smooth his hair down.

ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF

Ben had put this off too long. He'd meant to do it before. Really, he had, but things came up. Nothing important, he realized in retrospect, but things. He should have made more of an effort at least after Mark was born.

But he hadn't.

That was his own fault.

But now, traveling through shadows, across planes most demons didn't even know existed, to a forgotten place, he finally did come. And stood before a woman who had more than enough reason to hate him. Luckily she couldn't kill him. He had brought her to a place where he was more powerful than her, so she couldn't even delay him. But he had to do this at least.

"Going to try and punch me if I say hi?" He asked with a quick quirk of a grin.

Maggie's eyes narrowed. "What do you want?" She asked, forcing herself into a completely human form. It was easier tocommunicate that way. Felt more natural anyway.

"Can't an old friend stop by and say hi?" Ben asked, sitting down on a make shift seat. "Come on, Maggie. You can't be that mad at me. You were the one that made me, of all people me, promise to keep Jack safe. No matter what. Remember?"

"You didn't bring me here to keep Jack safe, you brought me here to keep John and his other sons safe." She pointed out. "You trapped me in nothingness. Why shouldn't I be angry with you?"

"Because I did take care of Jack. Or are you still so far gone that he doesn't really matter? That he's more of a possession that was taken from you? I was hoping some nothingness would give you some perspective. Now, humans, would have driven them nuts. But people like us? Gives us time to think and re evaluate."

She sighed. "Didn't say I wasn't grateful." She told him. "Just said I have reason to be angry. Not like I have jumped at the chance to attack you." She pointed out. Years alone had done nothing toher people skills.

"Still charming." Ben said. "Guess I shouldn't tell you how long it's been, should I?" He said, though he had brought a small photo album. "Come on, pull up a chair. Got a few surprises for you."

She pulled over a chair. "How is he?" She asked, not as angry at him for taking her son as she had been long ago. She had processed that and dealt with it. Solitude however she wasn't quite ready to forgive him for. Neither was she willing to chase away the first person she had been able to talk to in what seemed an eternity.

"He's good. I did a great job, if I do say so myself." Ben said with a grin. "He's thirty eight now." Ben said as he opened the album. "You're a grandmother. Fourth one due any moment. Family day is always interesting. What with the eight year old the spitting image of her mother, with the last name Hsiao. Oh yeah, I killed your father by the way. Would love to tell you it wasn't fun, but, well, it was."

"What did he do?" She asked, looking at the photos. Knowing Ben the man had deserved it. It had only been her attempts to remain human that had kept her from doing it herself in years past.

"Kidnapped Jack, poisoned him, then tried to hold him prisoner." Ben said. "I told you I'd look out for the kid. So that's Kaylie, his wife. Mark, oldest, then Abby, then Benji. She's about eight months pregnant right now."

She smiled as she looked over the pictures. "They are beautiful children. Is he as happy as he looks?" She asked, finding the images of her only child striking. He was such a strong looking man, with kind eyes. A rare combination.

"He is." Ben said. "Absurdly normal. Who would have thought a child of you and John Winchester, raised by me, would turn out so freaking normal. Not average, just normal. Job, house, kids, wife..."

"Good. I'm glad. John and I couldn't have given him that. Not even under the best of circumstances. What does he do? Has he had any more trouble from the accident?"

"He's a paramedic. His wife teaches kindergarten. I told you, absurdly normal." Ben said with a laugh. "John died, when he was twenty. They never met again. He told Sam and Dean about Jack before he died. Fine mess, those two brought with them. But Jack loves them."

"The younger one... You have to watch out for him... He is like me. Could hurt Jack so easily, whether he intends to or not."

"They already shoved a nice clean shiny soul back into him. And let me tell you, that hurt like hell." Ben said. "They're going after someone bigger now."

"They have gottenhim into hunting, haven't they?" She said and shook her head with a growl "Not what I wanted for him. The sons of bitches find out about me they will start hunting him down too... Just like before."

"They roped him into this because it involves him. Through John." Ben said, skirting around the rest of it. "The demon ran down Dean's daughter. Only a matter of time before he comes after Jack's kids. And they're younger than Mary. Speaking of Dean...they're fighting this on all the fronts they can get. Sam and his little abilities. Jack was roped into magic by your loving father. But what did you want with Dean?"

"Ah... The real reason for this visit atlast." She said with a sigh. "John performed a ritual on the boy when he was young. Far too young. Shortly after I brought Jack to you the first time." She started. "Bound him to a totem spirit. Bear. Just as Sam's blood is tainted by the darkness, Dean's is tainted by the light. It's potent, powerful. Blood magick is tied to thepower of life and the more pure, the more full of life that blood is, the more powerful it is. Bear is a creature of healing and protection and well... Life. His blood is pure, in many wayspurer metaphysically than virgin blood. He is the ultimate white goat."

"Good." Ben said. "Because I want Jack to come out of this. If Dean has to bleed himself dry, well, Jack will feel bad for a while, maybe a long time, but he'll be alive. Like I said, I want every weapon available at Jack's disposal. There's no time limit on how long I will look after the kid, you know. After all, compared to me, he'll always be a kid. Even when he's in a nursing home."

"Good, then I chose well." Maggie said with a nod. Jack would be protected. That was what mattered. It had always mattered even when she had reached her darkest point. "The demon won't allow it, you know. His sort ... They have a good deal more forewarning about things. Particularly where their children are concerned. "

"I still think they can do this." Ben said. "It's not going to be painless, and the outcome is going to messy for the family I suppose. I don't know how, just a feeling I have, really down deep where I don't actually like to feel. Hell, for all I know, they might manage to kill me some how."

"Finally find something worth living for again?" She asked him, raising an eyebrow. The Ben she remembered would have given everything he had to be wiped out of existence.

"I'd put it as something worth not dying for. I'm not saying I'll get out of the way if I think something's going to kill me, but I'm not actively seeking it out." Ben said. "Lost track of that as soon as Jack became a teenager and started sneaking out to meet girls."

"Sneaking out huh," She said with a smile. "He has a bit of the imp in him then... Comes by that naturally." She said, knowing a side of John that most didn't.

"Everyone said it was my influence. Then I saw him and Dean together goofing off." Ben said with a shrug. "Do you think you'll be able to eventually return? Honestly. Because you know if you aren't, and I take you back, I'll take you right back here. If that day ever comes."

"I will." She said. "But not until my other father is dead as well." Which wasn't likely to happen any time soon. She knew that she was weak where his influence was concerned.

"All right then." Ben said with a nod. "You get to stay. You can keep the photos if you want."

"Thank you." She said as she continued looking through the photos. "Tell him... Tell him when it's not going to cause him too much distraction... Tell him that I love him."

"I will." Ben said. "Guess I should get back. Lucky me, I get to babysit."

"You love it." She said looking up at him. "You know you do. It suits you... This protector image you have with them."

Ben nodded a bit. "I guess I do. Big change from about two hundred years ago, I'll grant you. But they're good kids. Your granddaughter worships the ground I walk on, so that helps."

"It tells me you spoil them." She said. "Perhaps one day I can see them... perhaps."

"Maybe." Ben said, making no hint of a promise. After all, her demonic father was still out there. And the sight of her would send Dean on the warpath, he was sure. And while part of him would find that entertaining, it would be a bad scene for all. "But that's a pretty inclusive book up until about last week I think. If you can get over Dean and Sam in it." For they were Jack's brothers. And as grown men, so closely, yet differently, resembled their father.

"They are part of his life. I can deal with it." The three of them, each seemed to have different aspects of John Winchester. Together they might measure up to him as men in her estimation. John... when she didn't hate him with all of her being, was on a very high pedestal.

"Jack never met him again. It still eats at him. He hides it, but I know." Ben said. "He killed himself. Not all that clear on it, they don't like to talk about it, but he traded himself for Dean at one point."

"Sounds like John." She said. "Doubtful with that sort of sacrifice that he has found peace."

"Some priest convinced them it was a loophole. Sacrificing himself for his child meant he could escape hell." Ben said. "We both know that's not true. At best he's split between the two, half in heaven, half in hell. And in some ways, that's worse."

"Very much so. Priest was looking to comfort them over something they could do nothing about." She said with a frown. Strange thoughts going through her head. Wondering about redemption...and what it would take to drag John Winchester out of hell.

Ben sighed. "I know that look. Don't think I've forgotten it. I don't forget anything." He said. "And you...you're thinking. Big kink in whatever plansyou're making though...I'd have to let you go first."

"Hell is eternity." She said looking at Ben. "There is time I suppose. And of course I would have to be sent there myself first in order to accomplish anything."

"Though Dean would rejoice, I think Jack would be pretty pissed at me if I let his mommy go to hell for the dad who never acknowledged him." Ben pointed out.

"And who says Dean or Jack ever need to find out? John is dead, it isn't as though he is going to rejoin them and tell the tale. " She pointed out.

"Why do you still love him?" Ben asked. "This is the man who researched how to destroy you. Didn't so much as glance at your son. He's the ultimate reason you're right here, he sold you out, Maggie."

"He had his reasons." She said. "After all, I had kidnapped his sons, can't really expect that he wouldn't exact revenge... as for Jack... I don't know if that was to protect Jack or himself. More likely himself really. In the end, Jack wound up with a much better father figure in his life than John would have been."

"Well, if you ask Dean, John Winchester just about walked on water. While carrying a sawed off shot gun of course." Ben said, rolling his eyes. "Your son grew up in a strip club, being baby sat by surgically enhanced strippers. Then there's my weekly poker games. The only thing he didn't do was hunt when he was a kid."

"He lived in one house, went to the same school, wasn't drug all over the country on a quest that wasn't his own. He was baby sat. Unlike John's boys that took care of themselves. He was a good man... and a loving father... but he wasn't the sort of father that was best for Jack. "

Ben shrugged. "I kept him safe." He allowed. And still did as much as he could. It was a bit harder now, what with Jack being a grown man that knew his own mind, but he still tried. Jack was Ben's responsibility, as far as Ben was concerned, until the day Jack died. Which hopefully wouldn't be any time soon.

"For which I am grateful." She said. "But think about it... finding a non Winchester to send me to hell. Once I crawl out again you can bring me back here if you think you need to."

"I'll ask some sources I have." Ben said. "Chances are, you'll go there alive. No idea if you'll stay that way. Instead you'd be dead, and trapped in hell. Is it really worth it?"

"I have the strangest feeling... especially if my dreams are to be trusted... that it's necessary." She said.

"Necessary?" Ben said. "This whole thing is ridiculous. Those three taking on a fallen angel, I have to babysit two pregnant women, a cranky old man and a gaggle of kids, and you actually want to go to hell."

"Yes..." She said locking gazes with him. "Make it happen Ben... a lot more is riding on it than John Winchester's eternal torment."

Ben shook his head. "I'll see what I can do." He said. "No promises. The demon population is locking down around their various sectors. Most of the ones that can get into hell, they're not talking to me. Either they owe me too much money, or they're just not happy with me. I'm not sure I could persuade an angel to do it either. But I'll try."

Maggie returned her attention to the photo album. She wanted to burn the images into her mind, knowing she wouldnt have the chance to see them again if Ben managed to do as she asked. And she had a feeling that failure might have farther reaching ripples than Ben realized.

"That's Benji." Ben said, as Maggie paused over a page. "The only one of the kids so far that looks pretty much like Jack. All those Caucasian genes interfering and all. Mark's a dead ringer for Dean at that age, Abby for Kaylie. Jack says if this next one looks like Sam, he's building a cabin in Montana."

She laughed softly. "It's possible that it will. There is a lot of John in Sam's features. As much as in Dean's really, just different features." She looked at her youngest grandson. "Yes... he does look like Jack. Very much like him at that age."

"Well, if this next kid is a girl, I feel sorry for her." Ben said. Sam didn't have features that would translate very well into a girl. "He does." He had met Jack around Benji's age, and his memory was better than most. "Did you bind Jack, magically, in some way?" He asked suddenly.

"Yes... to keep him off my father's radar... and the hunters'." When she had been raising her son, there had been far too many people hunting them down to kill them. She couldn't afford to have him accidentally set off alarms. There was no use of magic in a normal life anyway.

"Okay." Ben said, not mentioning that Teneke had tracked him down anyway. "How do you unbind him? Or bind him in the first place? Because Benji, he's doing all sorts of light tricks now."

She gave him the details of the spell she used. She also gave the directions on how to undo it. "I had planned to undo the spell on Jack when he was old enough to understand secrets a little better. "

"I'm not blaming you. I get it." Ben said. "I wouldn't have been much help, witches as a group tend to not really trust demons, so I wouldn't have been able to help him." As she well knew. When her own heritage came out, her own father cast her aside and disowned her.

"We both did all that we could for him... given our limitations. Raising a human child as a demon... you should be proud of what you managed with him. If he is half the man you have shown me here... thank you."

"I'm proud of him." Ben said. And he had made sure Jack knew that too. "He's probably the most stable out of all of us, surprisingly. It's a miracle and a half, really. I don't know, he's an amazing kid. I can't take all the credit for it."

"He always was an amazing kid." She said and closed the book. "You should go... They are going to need you. If the other side knows what they are up to... they will keep attacking."

"I know." Ben said. "Keep the book, it's got the highlights from everything in there." Graduations, tournaments, weddings, she could see Jack's life since Ben took him. "I'll be back." He said as he flamed back out, taking the long way in case she was sneaky, and finally returning home.

ITNOTFITNOTFITNOTF

Sam finished pounding the tent stakes into the ground and then leaned back on his heels to watch the boys sort out how they were going to set up the camp fire. It all brought back so many memories.

Kevin had been camping before with Sam. So he was teaching Simon how to make that perfect pyramid of sticks over dried grass and brush, and where to put the waterproof match once it was lit.

"We're getting it easy. Uncle Dean likes to talk about the last time he and Sam went camping. He had a bag of peanut M&Ms and a bag full of weapons." Kevin said with a laugh.

"We were hunting a wendigo." Sam said as he came over to the edge of the camp fire. "Unless you mean when we were teenagers. Then it was an angry spirit." He said. "Although Dean always has a bag of M&Ms and a bag full of weapons. Seriously... check out the garage you will find them there."

"At least you packed real food for us." Kevin said with a laugh as he gave Simon the match to light and toss onto the sticks to start a fire. Not that it got cold enough here to really warrant one.

"Yep, real food and marshmallows." Sam said with a laugh. "Seriously though. Let's relax tonight and tomorrow we can start on the hard core training.,, so... how you guys feel about the new baby coming?" He asked, worried about how they would take him having a child that was genetically his.

"I'm fine. Still not doing diapers though." Kevin said with a laugh. He had no fears in that department really.

Simon thought. "I don't know. It's a stupid question though. Not like we have a say in it, right?"

"No... you can't say you don't want the baby around and have us get rid of it... but if there are issues... we should work through them before the kid gets here, don't you think?"

"I don't see why." Simon said as he poked at the fire. "The baby is your bio kid." He said, already picking up on the adoption lingo. Bio kids, bio parents, etc. "Baby could turn around and say it wants us gone, and what do you do then? I mean, not like we're your 'real' kids."

"Okay... I know how the perception is... and that some people put up this huge barrier between adopted children, step children and so called real children. You are my sons. Nothing is going to change that. Not now, not ever. " Sam said and meant it. He wouldn't give up his sons.

"Hey, if he was going to give you back, he would have done so after you shot Ben." Kevin said with a chuckle. "He's got this serious no firearms shooting off in the house rule after all. Though I think Rachel made him put that one in order."

"Yeah, maybe." Simon said. He knew it wasn't a too closely guarded secret that Ben, and probably even Jack, wanted him gone after that.

"No maybe. You're a Winchester now. Yeah there are gonna be bumps along the way, but that happens in all families. Natural born or not. Trust me... Natural is no guarantee of smooth sailing, My dad and I were prime examples of that. But you don't give up on family just cause something happens or things change. You are my family."

"Yeah, well, you say Ben is your family too. And he's NOT my family." Simon said. This was a time to be honest, right?

"I know." Sam said. "And I get that. I do. You don't have to like him. I'm not going to make you call him Uncle Ben. Not going to make you go over to his house. The only time you have to be around him is while your uncles and I are off fighting this demon. " Sam told him. "But you need to understand... Ben not only raised Jack... he took care of Dean when I... well while I was forced to stay away by the demon we are going to kill. He saved our lives when we were kids... when another demon had Dean and I locked away in a shadow world that our dad couldn't get to. Ben has earned my trust. I know he hasn't earned yours. I can accept that. "

"How are we supposed to protect Rachel if you can't even make a dent in him?" Simon asked. Sam asked the boys to be honest and open after all. And it was weighing on his mind something heavy. When they were all stuck together, how did they protect Rachel? Because he knew what he saw.

"I don't know." Sam said honestly. "But if he does, you call me. I can get there in an instant." He knew that probably weirded his sons out but it was a fact of life. Something he had tried to bury tried to block out of his life but he wasn't allowed that peace yet. Not really.

Simon nodded. It had taken a lot of faith on his part, and a lot of explanation from Sam and some priests in the know, but he'd accepted what Sam was. Sam could go into a church, take communion, all that without a wince. That was something, right?

"Keep your phone on then." Simon said. Because he was sure it was going to happen.

"I will." He said. "You boys... our family... is more important than anything. It's why we have to do this. " He didn't think it would happen unless some demon some where had figured out how to possess another demon. Ben would never just attack one of the family. Not someone that Jack's family cared about. He didn't have any thought that it had anything to do with him or Dean individually. It was Jack that made the demon willing to accept them and their extended family. But he trusted in it none the less.

"Great." Kevin said. He wasn't as comfortable with heart to hearts as Sam was. Maybe because he'd always kept himself a little guarded. It was how he stayed sane after what happened to his bio family. It was how he was going to stay sane if anything happened to this family. "So where are the marshmallows?"

Sam laughed. "In the food bag in the main room of the tent. Bring out the hot dogs too. So we can at least pretend we had real food first. "

Kevin grabbed the food and opened it all, skewering the hotdogs on sticks to hold them over the fire, passing one to Sam, one to Simon. "Hot dogs count as real food? Man, and I liked them too."

"They count as real food in a purely guy setting. So does pizza, hot wings and, when you are older, beer. When there is a woman around... that entire criteria changes. " Sam pointed out. He had lived with more than one woman in his life after all.

Kevin laughed at that. "That's really not incentive to thrust myself into the dating world you know." He said. And even Simon cracked a smile.

"Dating isn▓t the same thing as getting serious. Not that I want you out there imitating Dean." He said with a grin. "You have plenty of time to worry about hiding your junk food habit from a well meaning spouse type object. That▓s usually reserved for us middle aged types."

"You think Jack has bad habits he hides from Kaylie?" Simon asked. He knew, both of them knew, that Sam wasn't around for Dean's late wife.

"I am sure there are little ones he keeps. Like junk food or something like that. Can't imagine anything bigger. Jack is the squeaky clean member of the family." Sam said with a grin. "Besides... I think she can beat him up if she wanted to. "

"Really?" Simon said around his hot dog, laughing at the mental image of it all.

"Really." Kevin assured him. "When she gets moody, EVERYONE walks on egg shells. Including Dad."

"She is quite the little scrapper. Was really cute when we were all younger. Now... not so cute... definitely scary."

Simon laughed. "She's five feet tall." He said, shaking his head.

"Yeah." Kevin said. "Five feet tall, spoiled, protective, and grew up on a ranch. I think I'd let her win arguments. Then again, I'm a sucker and would anyway. I let Mary win, and I could definitely take her."

"Okay... definitely need to work on your not being a push over where girls are concerned. The trick is to not let them bait you into an argument. Once you start arguing -even if they start it... you are suddenly the Jerk... even if you are right." Sam said.

Kevin chuckled. "Yeah, dating sounds like something I should be doing. Sounds like walking through a minefield blindfolded. I'll get there, Dad. I know. I just need time."

"That's about the size of it." He said with a faint laugh. "Although standing up for Mary today will do a lot for your reputation I think."

"Really?" Kevin said with a grin. "So other than the grounding, and the suspension, what's the downside to fighting in school? I mean, I shut the guy up, and I might impress some girls with it."

"The fact that if there was anything less than an impressive reason to do it and you might find out how unacceptable it is, even to me." Sam said pointedly. "And then there is the whole bully reputation to down play. Just cause something worked out for the good once, doesn't mean it will a second time."

"I still don't have an anger problem. I've put up with a lot from all of them. I mean, they make fun of me cause I'm not the tallest kid, or the biggest kid, or the smartest kid. Bunch of jocks even tried spreading around that I was gay, because that's the biggest 'insult' they could come up with." Kevin said. "And I've never snapped on my own behalf. I could have started to beat them all down in the eighth grade if I was really like that."

"I know... and trust me... they would pick on you no matter what. I was the tallest and smartest in my class and that was what they picked on me about. Of course I was always the new kid too, so that opened that one up big time." Sam shared. "But you two have each other. Don't forget that... don't let anything come between you. "

"Like you have Uncle Dean?" Simon asked. "Did he get picked on too?"

"Yeah... he got picked on too. He was short when we were younger. Always the new kid. Always stuck taking care of his mutant little brother." He added with a grin.

Kevin laughed. "Don't go there, Simon." He said. "My part of this trip is to learn that fighting in school is bad, remember?" He'd already heard from Dean how John was constantly being called to the school because Dean had gotten into yet another fight. Either over himself or Sam.

"The guys that throw words at you... don't worry about them. Let it go. They don't understand and nothing you can say or do will ever change that. Now if someone ever starts a physical fight... you have my permission to finish it. Just remember that you two are being trained to take on demons and creatures that are much stronger... you are being trained to kill things. You have to be careful. Because you could seriously hurt someone without meaning to."

The boys nodded. They knew that, Kevin definitely did. He had to pull himself back when he was beating on Mary's ex boyfriend. He had no idea how lucky he got off, really.

"The words hurt worse than a punch though." Simon said as he poked at the fire.

"I know they do." Sam said sincerely. "I know it's not easy. I know it's easy as an adult to say it's nothing but words, just blow them off cause they don't change a thing. I also know it sounds like a cop out to say it. But in the end... the words only last so long as you dwell on them. But that's not gonna really work until you figure out who you are and are secure in that."

Simon rolled his eyes. THAT should take a while at least. "Do you know who you are and are you secure in that?" He asked.

"As much as anyone can be. I've gotten to the point that strangers' opinions don't matter to me really. The opinion of my family matters... the people I respect at church... so yeah... I know who I am. Sometimes I don't like all the details of that... but I know who I am."

"Well, your family thinks I'm broken." Simon muttered as he dug for the marshmallows. Because children always heard things they weren't supposed to hear. Most of all, Simon was sneaky, he was bound to hear it.

Sam sighed. Boy they were going to have to start being careful. "Simon... you witnessed your family being murdered... there is no way that doesn't have an effect on someone. Dean saw our mom... he was four. He was broken growing up... trust me... very broken. Our father never recovered. It's a poor choice of words but ... hunters aren't always the most sensitive people in the world. Especially when talking amongst themselves. I'm sorry you heard it that way."

Simon scowled. "Yeah, and I shot Ben." Simon said. "I promise not to shoot him while you're away, all right?" He'd just stay in his corner and glare at the thing 'babysitting' him.

"I know. I trust you, Simon. I do. And when this is over we will figure out what is going on with your visions. What it is that you are seeing... where they are coming from. Okay?"

Simon nodded and Kevin chuckled. "I know how Uncle Dean feels now." He said. "What with the freak little brother and all." He teased Simon, and Simon at least knew he was teasing.

"Yeah... but there is nothing wrong with being a freak. Comes in handy from time to time." Sam said with a grin then broke out the bag of marshmallows.

ITNOTFITNOTFITNOTF

Ben left Maggie, and stopped by Dean's garage. He certainly wasn't going to tell Dean where he came upon this information, but he trusted it. So he told Dean.

And Dean already knew. With resignation, he knew.

"I know." He said. "I'm not coming home from this, I realize that." He looked down at the tools he was inventorying, a new shipment. "What can I say? Gotta go out sometime, right? At least most of us."

"What the hell?" Jack demanded as he came the rest of the way into the garage. "No... you are not going to just give up like that. You do not get to suicide to get rid of a demon."

"Who's giving up?" Dean responded. "I'm not going out without a fight, and I'm certainly not laying down at his feet. Jack, don't make a big deal out of this."

"Don't make a big deal out of over hearing you say you aren't coming back... that you are going to pretty much bleed out for the cause? Damn it Dean... No... this is definitely something to make a big deal about."

"No, Jack. It's not. Because you didn't over hear anything." Dean said firmly as he shut the cases. "You got me? You didn't over hear shit!"

"Yes I did, and you are going to have to deal with this conversation whether you want to or not."

"There's nothing to deal with." Dean said, giving his brother a dark look. As far as he was concerned, there really wasn't anything to deal with. It was a done deal. It wasn't up to Jack to accept. "Look, we're doing this. Any way we can."

"The idea is to survive it to enjoy being free of the son of a bitch, not die because of him." Jack said. "What... have you told Sam that you are doing this? That the man he was willing to sell his soul to keep alive is going to just slit his wrists and bleed out?"

"No, and neither are you." Dean said vehemently. "Sam does NOT know about this, got it? Cause he'll do something incredibly stupid. Look, this bastard killed my mother, killed our father, killed Jessica, threatened Kaylie, had my daughter run over, and nearly caused Sam to lose his soul, which is a fate worse than death. I am doing whatever it fucking takes to end this. But this is the only thing I can bring to the table."

"You seriously need to figure out this self image problem of yours." Jack said with a scowl. "Sam isn't stupid. You start bleeding during the ritual, and he is gonna know what you are up to ."

"Sam will be a little busy. So will you. Which is why I wasn't going to tell anyone, because we don't need the distraction, okay?" Dean said defensively. "This isn't a self image problem. This is the truth. Cold, hard truth. There's something in my blood that will help end this."

"Yeah well, let's hold on to the fact that maybe... just maybe a little will go a long way." Jack said. "That is the only way you are going to do this. I am not going to let you suicide. One of those in this family is enough. "

"Dad wasn't suicide." Dean said. "He was a sacrifice. There is a difference. And I've read the ritual. Backwards and forwards and sideways. Tried inside out, but my eyes started crossing. It's not one of those a little goes a long way...why are we discussing this? I said it wasn't up for discussion."

"Because you have family you are planning to leave behind. Because your life matters more than this damned demon."

"Jack. He tried to kill my daughter. And you think I'm not going to do everything possible to finally stop him? He's only going to keep amping up his game. TimeI amped up mine."

"Your game is going to cost you your life... it's going to cost us your life." Jack insisted, not sure how to deal with this. His brother was going to die. This was all insane. Completely insane.

"So what do you suggest I do?" Dean asked, folding his arms over his chest and trying not to glare at his youngest brother. "Back down? Not do everything I can? Hey, maybe we can all live on the run, on the road, like Sam and I used to. Think Kaylie will mind delivering and raising kids in the back of a car?"

"Damn it, Dean, don't you be mad at me for not wanting to lose you." Jack said. "You don't get to ask that. No... there has to be another way."

"You honestly think I haven't looked?" Dean scoffed. "Jack, I've known about my part in this for the better of ten years. If you hadn't happened to come around the corner when you did, you'd still never know. I've had Bobby researching for other ways, even Ben. All they're coming up with is confirmation of what they don't think I already know."

"Damn it... " he swore. "I am not going to lose you." Jack said. He couldn't handle that. He had lost too much in his life. They thought he was the normal one. That he had a stable, simple life in comparison. He had lost his parents too. They had walked away in their own ways. Even his mother. She had taken that dark path and left him behind just as surely as John had turned his back. From the outside it was nothing compared to watching their parents die, but to him it was a nightmare. And he didn't want to go through that again.

"Jack, I don't know what to say to make you accept this. I probably can't. But I need to do this. Dad died for me. So I wouldn't die. I thought it was because of Sam. But what if he knew? What if he knew what exactly he had drug me into all those years ago? That makes this pretty much my purpose." If he could get past the knife. That alone, a knife sliding across his flesh so he'd bleed, brought up enough terrifying memories for him. But what Maggie had put him through, it was an unspoken subject between Dean and Jack. Because when push came to shove, Maggie was still Jack's mom.

"If he knew... that was a hell of a thing to do to a small child." Jack said. "Look... no one has one single purpose in life. You aren't a tool. You're a man. A father, a brother, a frigging human being. You have a choice."

"I do. And I made it." Dean said. "It's all right. I'll be fine.Ben's got the instructions to salt and burn me. Look, you did fine twenty years without me, right? You'll be fine. Even Sam will be fine, without this hanging over his head all the time. Finally be able to move on with his life. And you, you can put this whole nightmare behind you."

"Yeah... what about the girls? How is Tessa going to deal with losing yet another daddy?" Mary would pull through in pure Winchester fashion. She would be hell on wheels for the rest of her life but she would make it. Tessa... well that was another story.  
Dean shook his head. "Don't go there. You don't get to go there." He said roughly. "I am giving them a chance at a life free of this. You have no idea. You pointed it out once, we come at demons from different sides of the fence. Ben protected you, let you see the demons that don't necessarily hurt people maliciously. Me? I've been afraid of this demon, hating this demon, and hunting this demon since I was four years old. You don't get to guilt me with them, because I'm doing this for them."

"Yeah... how did that thought process go over when Dad died for you?" He said. "How well did it go over when Sam's soul was slowly being eaten away ... for you. " Jack said.

"Jack, I'm being nice and logical right now. Right now, I'm still calm. Don't think I won't lay you out." Dean said. "It's different. Dad died for me, Sam almost gave up his soul...just so I could breathe. I'm offering them freedom from this. From all the paranoia. The weight. It stops with our generation. I am NOT passing this son of a bitch off to my kids!"

"Yeah. I get that." He said. "Just think you are over looking what you are taking away from them. " How could he explain it? He loved Ben, loved the life he had been given by growing up with Ben. But he very keenly felt the absence of John Winchester. To protect him, his mother had given her soul to protect him and he missed her more than he could say. "You are going to do it no matter what any one says, no matter what it does to anyone else because you know best. " He said the last sarcastically.

"You're acting like this is an easy choice or something!" Dean shot back. "You have no idea. I'm facing leaving my kids orphans. Not to mention having to go through with it in the first place. You have no idea what your mother put me through last time she had me, because you're my brother, I won't tell you. But don't go acting like I just woke up and decided to do this."

"Oh I'm sure you have been thinking about it for a long time, but how am I supposed to react to this? Hey man, thanks, gonna miss you. Now where did we put that socket wrench?"

"Top drawer to the left." Dean replied automatically. "But this is why I wasn't planning on telling anyone. Hell, you guys could have thought it was an accident or something. I'm not looking forward to this. And if you come up with a better way, then I'd love to hear it."

"Believe me... I'm going to be looking. Don't know if it will do any good but I am not giving up. I can't. I'm the one that gets to live with the aftermath. Not you... I get to look Sam in the face and tell him I knew. I'm the one that has to be strong for the girls because Sam is going to fall apart in a big way. And then I get to pretend that I'm okay."

"You hate when I do that." Dean pointed out. "At least you didn't say you were going to pretend to be fine. Chavi's favorite anagram." He said with a chuckle. "Fucked up, Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional."

"I won't have to pretend that." Jack said honestly and sighed, his eyes misting over. "Damn it Dean... just tell me you won't give up, okay?"

"I'm not giving up. If I see a chance to make it out of this, I'm taking it." Just right now, he didn't see a way. "I'm not laying down and dying. Not my style."

Jack didn't know if he believed that or not. Self sacrifice was very much Dean's style but if that was what he had to say and make himself believe to look the last few weeks of life in the face, so be it. But it was eating Jack alive, and he didn't think it would ever stop. "Okay."

Dean sighed. "This is why I wasn't going to tell you. For one, you're a bad secret keeper." And Sam couldn't know. Ever. Jack wasn't even supposed to know. "You raised him to be a bad secret keeper." He said to Ben.

"Hey, keep me out of this." Ben said.

"And you raised Sam to be neurotically attached to you. Welcome to the dysfunctional Winchesters." Jack said. "I won't tell him. Not because you asked me, but because I don't want to be the one to break his heart for him. "

"Hey, I was four." Dean said. "You can't hold that against me. And Dad did a lot more raising than Sam gives him credit for. Sam will be fine. Eventually."

"Yeah. Okay." Ben said with a roll of his eyes. "I'll keep looking for something else, all right?" He said, more for Jack's benefit than Dean's, honestly.

Jack nodded and looked at Ben gratefully. If anyone could find a solution, it would be Ben. He wasn't so sure about Sam. The bond between his brothers wasn't normal by a long shot. One of them dying would just about take the other with him.

Ben shook his head. "Come on." He said to Jack. "Let's get some coffee." Before going home, the kid needed to calm down and decompress. "See you later, Dean."

"Yeah, okay." Jack said, very much needing his daddy in that moment. Even at his age, this was something that he couldn't handle on his own. "I'll see you later. Kaylie is... ahm... Kaylie says she took care of all the vacation stuff Mary should need. So don't let her fool you later."

"I won't." Dean said as he watched his youngest brother's foster father lead him out of the garage. Ben walked in silence for a moment, looking at Jack.

"So..." he said. "Leave it to Dean to cause the upset, right?"

"Leave it to Dean to find a new way to try and kill himself." Jack said in response. He knew that it wasn't a cry for help or attention on Dean's part. If it had been, he would have decked him, and told Sam everything. This was Dean trying to take the weight on his shoulders, trying to save everyone else but himself. Didn't make it any easier to take.

"That's your brother." Ben said as they stopped to get coffee from a vendor, Ben putting the coffee in Jack's hand. "I'll look for another way, I promise. But Dean knows his blood will seal the deal."

"If he even gives you time to try and find something else." Jack shook his head. "I can't imagine not having him around, what it will do to the kids... to Sam..."

Ben sighed. "I know. Everything will be...quieter." He said. Probably not quiet in a good way, Dean brought a certain energy into any given room. But this certainly explained why Dean was hell-bent on getting his affairs completely in order before going on this hunt.

"Mary and Tessa... god..." He shook his head. "I don't know that I can deal with this." He could handle accidents. He could handle injuries in a hunt, or diseases. He couldn't handle the sacrifice. The quiet acceptance of death in his brother's eyes.

Ben put a sympathetic hand on the back of Jack's neck. "I know." Ben said. And he did. He was doomed to outlive every single person he could care about after all.And he wanted to punch Dean in the face for putting Jack through this.

"Not going to have a choice but ... keeping this to myself. Is that even fair... not just because it's going to eat me alive, but is that fair to Sam? To not have a chance to say good bye or delve into the research himself?"

"You could tell him." Ben said. He'd be blunt with Jack, because he was always blunt and honest. "He'd delve into the research, forget the task at hand...and Dean would end up carving out his own heart if the two of you aren't up to the job."

"I know... " Jack said. "Or Sam would refuse to do it at all and he is the only one that can speak the name. Which leads us to the end of the world. " He hated it. Hated every stupid bit of it.

"Well,I can say it. Just doesn't have the same effect if I do it." Ben said with a chuckle. Ben wouldn't and couldn't do an exorcism of any kind. "You've got some time." He said. "Things could be different tomorrow, you never know. Your brother feels he has to do this, and if John were here, I'd beat the shit out of him right about now."

"Take a number." Jack said with a tone and expression that made it all too clear that he was genetically John Winchester's son.

Ben chuckled at the tone. He'd heard that tone straight from John Winchester himself before and sat down on a bench, turning toward Jack. "I don't think John knew what he was doing. He was in the moment, looking to keep Dean and Sam safe for the moment, especially knowing what Sam really was. He messed with some rituals he really had no business messing with."

"And because Dean is the man he is... with the blood that he has... he is gonna spill it all over the place on one demon. When we all know it isn't going to stop there. There will be other fallen coming after Sam. After the family because that's what they do. "

"It isn't even about the demons, is it, Jack?" Ben asked gently as he drank his coffee. "It's all right. He's your brother. Your only oldest brother. And he's incredibly stupid, and unselfish, yet inconsiderate, and arrogant, pain in the ass..."

"It's because it isn't going to solve anything. It's like killing himself to bail a bucket of water out of a sinking ship. " Jack said. He knew that it was the fallen angels' destiny to bring about eventual inevitable armageddon. How could there not be more? "It's giving up because he figures if he doesn't, Sam and I can't manage to survive the ritual. And yes he is all those things and more and ... this is just all too much to expect me to take in stride and move on with my life."

Ben nodded. Jack just needed to decompress. He wasn't about to stop him. He wasn't exactly fond of his own position either, babysitting Mary and Tessa, knowing full well their father had no intention of coming back from this. "The future isn't written in stone. Just remember that, okay?"

"Oh believe me if there is anything that will keep Dean alive through this ...it's on my to do list." Jack said. " This is all so insane. Why is it when I get involved in this side of things the entire world ceases to make sense?"

"Because they don't make sense. Not to humans." For demons, it had a kind of symmetry, but he'd never point that out. "Had I known your brothers were going to become permanent fixture in your life, I might have prepared you for it when you were a kid."

"Don't know that anything could prepare me for him going off and sacrificing himself like this." Jack said with a sigh. "All those times we've almost lost him... were nothing compared to this."

Ben had always seen it coming. From when Dean had crossed the wasteland as a child to go after his father, to throwing himself in harm's way so his brothers didn't have to take it. He'd known something like this was eventually going to happen. He just didn't know it would be planned like this. "He's the most unselfishly selfish bastard I've ever met." So he didn't have to live without his brothers, he was going to make them live without him. So his children wouldn't be hurt, he was going to kill himself. He was going to save the world so the rest of them could be safe.

Jack chuckled then and wiped at his face. "Yeah that's Dean in a nutshell, the most unselfishly selfish bastard around." He took a deep breath. "You know what... tonight... I think I am going to piss my wife off and come to the club and drink myself silly. Coffee just isn't cutting it."

Ben laughed. "I didn't think it would. But I was waiting for you." He said. "I'll cover with Kaylie. But if you want to skip the lap dance part, go to the sports bar." Usually Kaylie didn't have too much of a problem with it. But she usually wasn't eight months pregnant either!

"Probably a good idea. Last thing I need is a lap dance right now. " He chuckled.

"Hey, her mood swings...they're your fault you know." Ben teased him. "The rest of us didn't knock her up. Again."

"Yeah but I'm laying my mood swings right on Dean's shoulders this time. You know we have to make sure he gets in all the fun he can while on vacation. Make some good memories for the girls."

"We will, count on that. But just in case, you should do the same. I can't protect you out there." Because he'd be stuck inside a salt circle protecting the children.

"I know... but don't worry. I don't have a suicidal, sacrificial bone in my body." Not entirely true, but close enough to truth. He would lay down his life for the people he loved, but he was more of a man to risk his life willingly to ensure everyone was okay. Himself included in that if possible.

Ben had to laugh at that. "You get that from me, kiddo." He said. Certainly not John or Maggie.

"You mean the desire to live? I think you are right about that one. " He looked thoughtful. "I need you to help me get something... a portable fridge... medical quality."

"I meant the non sacrificial part." Ben said. There was a big difference between having a desire to live and having no way to die after all. Though he was doing a lot better now, forty years later. "Medical quality? What are you planning now?"

"Dean wants to bleed himself out, I can put it back in." Jack said with a shrug. "He will be weak enoughthat he can't really fight me on it either. Unconsciousness comes long before death."

"Never would have thought of that." Ben said. "Okay, I'll call up some people I know, see what they've got." There were sects of vampires that raided blood banks instead of humans after all.

"Thanks... I appreciate it. It's the only thing I can think of to save his hide. " It might not even work depending on how things played out but he wanted ... no... needed to be prepared.

Ben nodded and once they got to the club, handed Jack the whole bottle instead of a shot glass. He was glad, on one hand, that his brothers had come into the family late in his life. He wasn't as co dependent on them. On the other hand, it left Jack with a constant feeling of 'not enough time.'

Jack tool a long slow draw on the bottle and tilted his head back for a moment before letting his breath out slowly. Not enough time didn't cover it. Didn't even begin to cover it. There was never enough time. Always something that needed to be done, needed to be said, needed to be fixed. Jack was angry. Right then he was angry with his parents, for the situation they had created. If John hadn▓t bound him to the spirit... if his mother hadn't tried to use Dean's blood none of this would be happening.

If Dean could think of himself for once. Or perhaps not think about his fear of being the survivor once again.

Jack would be mad at God if he believed in him. But he didn't. He didn't think that there was some all powerful all knowing being up there that ran the show. Didn't believe that Demons could have ever once been Angels. Just some myth that people invented to make the world make sense. to explain away their sorrow and fear and take comfort that it was for some greater good. Nothing but a frigging crutch. Ben sat next to his foster son. He really wished there was more he could do, but there wasn't. So he put out feelers for a portable medical quality fridge. Left messages for some of the blood banks that could be bought off easily enough. And just sat there, drinking with him.

If anyone had ever asked him about his reluctance to let the Winchesters meet Jack in the first place, this was what he would have told them. It wasn't any possessiveness or jealousy on his part. It was that he was convinced Winchesters brought death, destruction and despair wherever they went. Even if it was only to themselves.

"I'll be alright." He said after about a third of the bottle was gone. "We'll make sure it works out... he isn't going to die. I won't let it happen." He couldn't handle it. If he couldn't handle it, he wasn't going to let it happen. Not that he had John's extreme notions on the subject, or Sam's for that matter. But he was going to try and foil Dean's plans as much as he could.

"We'll figure something out." Ben agreed. "At the very least we get to make sure you all have some fun. Don't forget that part either, Jack."

"I have to pull it together before Sam gets back." Jack said. "And be able to pretend I don't know. Yeah... we'll have fun. I'll make sure of it. Don't worry."

"Good, because this is a vacation for all of us remember. It's not just show Dean a good time. He's more than capable of entertaining himself." Ben said with a chuckle.

"I know. I won't screw that up. I know it's just as likely I could die out there as him. I think that is more the reason for Sam taking the boys camping than punishment. Although I think there is a good deal of that too. Sam is... a strange man when it comes to raising those boys. "

"Sam raises those boys like he were John. John if he wasn't as hell bent on his mission, without sticking Dean aka Kevin with the raising of Sam aka Simon." Ben said. "This is probably how John would have been, had he been allowed to settle in one place and surround himself with family. No idea where you got your child raising abilities from though." Ben said with a laugh. "I mean, your kids are more than happy to take you to Job Day."

Jack laughed. "My job doesn't involve killing things that most people don't think exists. Let's face it, Dean and Sam are hunters who fix cars to pay for their ammo. No matter how much they try and convince themselves it's otherwise. Me... I'm a paramedic that takes out the occasional threat to humanity." He didn't see himself as a hunter, and never would.

"You never took me to Job Day." Ben said with a fake pout.

"My teachers suggested against it... what with the naked women, drinking and all." He said with a laugh. "Some how they objected to that."

Ben laughed. "Yeah, that was probably it. Mark wants to take me to career day though." He said with a grin. "Unfortunately I had to decline. What with his English teacher being a former employee of mine."

"Yeah. It's bad enough she tells him stories of how she used to baby sit me while she was... working her way through college. But hey... she didn't have any student loans and I was the envy of every man on the block."

Ben laughed. "Lucky you. I got grief for it!" He said with a grin. "All those naked women babysitting you. People forget they were only naked for cash. And not babysitting cash either." He said, then sobered. "Jack, I saw your mom today."

He chocked on the whiskey. "What?" He managed to rasp out. "How? She isn't coming after them again too, is she? " He cleared his throat. "Is she... is she sane?"

"She's still where I put her." Ben said. "I went to her. I had some questions. She's better. For her. And she's not going anywhere unless I go get her. No fear on that part, okay? She told me, however, that she bound you. And you're still partially bound. I can undo it, now that I know. Or actually, have someone undo it."

He thought about it a moment and nodded. "Okay... let's do it. " The added fire power he could bring to the party might keep them all alive. ALL of them alive.

Ben nodded. "All right." He said and made a call. She was in the area, the witch he called. More of a priestess, but she came and performed the ritual. Basically chanting under her breath and waving about Jack for about ten seconds. "Wow, I thought there would be more to it." He said with a laugh when it was finished.

"Yeah... me too. Thanks... Now I need to practice this thing before...well you know. Good thing my grandfather didn't realize I was bound rather than thinking it was my mixed parentage."

"He was a little too busy manipulating you." Ben said. "You know, you can bind Benji until he's old enough to make a choice."

"I'll talk to Kaylie tonight about it. Gonna blame my binge on you talking to mom." He said with a faint smile. "Easier than coming up with something that didn't happen. I'm a lousy liar." He said with a faint slur to his voice. Ben laughed. "Thanks." He said. "Come on, slugger, let's get you home before you're totally sloshed."

Jack nodded. "Probably a good idea." He said as he got slowly to his feet and let Ben lead the way. He just hoped he could keep his mouth shut.

"Just don't worry about Kaylie and the kids, okay?" Ben said as they walked. Would help Jack sober up a bit. "You called me a tank before. Nothing's getting past me."

"I know. It's the only reason any of us can risk going... cause you'll be there protecting the people that matter the most to us. Can't imagine anyone else I would trust that much... tank or not."

"You all grew on me, what can I say?" Ben said with a chuckle. It would be far too easy just to brush it off as an extension of a promise he'd made thirty years ago.

"I love you too." Jack said in a gentle tone. He knew it was more than a promise. He suspected it had been even before he had been taken by Ben to safety.

"Besides," Ben said with a wicked grin, slinging a paternal arm around Jack, "if Idon't stick around, who's going to buy Abby those fire batons?"

"God help us." He said playfully. "You know if you do that Kaylie will find a way to kill you. " He laughed.

"I'll just tell her it was fire batons for Abby or strippers for Mark." Ben said with a grin. "She'll get over it. Besides, Abby reminds me of you as a child. Obnoxiously stubborn."

"I suppose so." He said with a laugh. "She definitely knows what she wants when she wants it. I always thought she got that from her mother. That woman is no slouch in the back bone department."

Ben laughed. "Yeah, I've noticed." Ben said. "I'm surrounded by obnoxiously stubborn humans, the whole lot of you. Keep spawning and you'll be able to start your own soccer team soon."

"Spawning... yeah I guess now that Rachel is pregnant we have all managed to spawn as you call it. Unfortunately they won't all be of an age to play soccer or baseball for a long while."

"It passes fast. Trust me." Ben said with a chuckle. "Seems like yesterday your mother was dropping you off and I was asking her if you were potty trained."

"Yeah I suppose it does. Although to me that time seems an eternity ago. I have to struggle to remember Sam and Dean as boys. I do remember Abby though. But I saw more of her I suppose."

"You always did." Ben said. He still, even now, had pictures of Abby displayed in his house. It made him feel better to have them around. "Truthfully, I tried to get out of watching you. She talked me into it, having you around made her feel young again."

"I'm glad she did." Jack told him. "I wouldn't trade my childhood for anything. Wouldn't have minded more of Sam and Dean but that's just ... I don't know... probably would have complicated things beyond belief because that would have meant more of John as well."

"I still think John didn't quite believe you were truly real for a long time." Ben said. "That you were just an illusion brought up by Maggie to get to him. The way she was then, I wouldn't have put it past her to try if she didn't in fact have you."

"Yeah, I guess." He said. "Never really know what happened. He did what he did or didn't do and that's just how it was. " He shrugged. It didn't hurt as much as it used to. It was ancient history. At least consciously. Subconsciously it had a lot to do with the way he dealt with people.

"Well, it all worked out for the best, right?" Ben asked. He knew John's rejection then absence was a big gaping hole, and he tried his best to fill that as much as he could for Jack.

"Yes it did. I wouldn't be the same person I am now if John had raised me. I wouldn't have you, or Kaylie or my family. God knows where I would have fit in with Sam and Dean and their relationship if things had gone differently."

"Exactly. So no blame either way." Ben said with a nod. "Can't change the past, believe me, there are things I'd change if I could. But we can't, so the 'what ifs' aren't even worth bothering over."

"I don't really... what ifs are for regrets. I don't have any. It's sad that I never got to know John, but it isn't a regret. "

"That's my boy." Ben said with a chuckle as they reached Jack's house. "Though I'm starting to regret not getting you a bigger house. One more kid and you'll need an addition."

"We're fine. If we need an addition, we can manage. If we need a new house, we can sell this one to pay off most of the new one." He didn't want to take advantage of Ben's generosity. The man didn't seem to know how much money he had...or rather what the numbers really meant.

"It's my money, I can spend it however I like." Ben said, airily. It was an old argument between the two of them. Jack had a lot of pride, and Ben tried to spoil Jack. But it was that pride that kept Jack from being a spoiled brat.

Jack laughed. "Yeah... and you are going to be spending a lot of it on a family vacation for us all. So don't worry... you will have plenty of opportunity to spoil the kids. All the kids."

"You're still a kid." Ben said with a laugh. "And yes, I'm working on being nice to Simon."

"Thanks." Jack said. "I know it means a lot to Sam that you are still trying. He really doesn't approve of what the kid did, you know."

"Doesn't change the fact I got shot." Ben said with a shrug as he opened the door. "Anyone home? Found a stray wandering, hoping you could keep him."

"Is there anything that could change that really?" Jack asked and let himself be led inside. He took a seat on the sofa and waited for his wife. He knew she wasn't going to be exactly pleased. He hadn't called home first.

"Why do I always get stuck with the strays?" Kaylie asked. "The kids are asleep." It was late. "I told them you had a call." The best she could come up with, and believable at that. "Though for all I knew, you were lying in a ditch somewhere."

"I saw his mom today." Ben said with a shrug. "Then I took him out on a bender. You know me, I don't know how to break news like that gently."

"I'm sorry, Baby, you're right I should have called. I wasn't thinking clearly." He wasn't. He still wasn't. Everything after setting up the transfusion supplies was pure emotion, not thinking.

Kaylie shook her head and sat next to her husband on the couch. "Are you okay? Ben, what did you give him to drink?"

"Whisky. I figured once he was over the age of twenty one he could drink what he wanted." Ben said.

"I'm okay. I'm just drunk." He said. "Hey... could be worse, Dean could have found out he spoke with Mom... we would have both gotten drunk. It wouldn't have been pretty."

"I don't know that I have enough alcohol for that." Ben said with a laugh. "I'll see you tomorrow kid. Got some inquiries to look into."

"Thanks. See you then." He said and sighed. "Wanna help me make some coffee for now? " He asked his wife.

"You are so lucky I'm already pregnant." She said with a chuckle as she stood up and headed for the kitchen. "You're unbearably cute when you're drunk, and what's worse, you keep forgetting that!"

He grinned at her, looking very much like the teenaged boy she used to date so long ago. "I'll take your word for that. Don't think I want to face the mirror right now." He said blushing faintly.

"You'd probably see at least two of you anyway." She teased him and kissed him before starting the coffee. "So Mark's at a sleep over with a kid from his dojo. One less kid to shake out of bed in the morning..."

"Wouldn't you know it's the quiet one?" He said with a laugh. Not that he would trade the other two for the world. "So how much is Dean gonna grumble at me when he gets his credit card bill?"

"Grumble's not the word." Kaylie said with a grin. "What can I say? He gave his credit card to a teenager, what did he expect? However, on our credit card is a goal for myself. High school reunion in three months, bought a dress I hope I fit in by then."

"Oh god has it been that long already? " He groaned. He didn't care about the dress even if she didn't fit into it, which she probably would because she didn't gain much of anything really over the years in spite of three children. It was the high school reunion that floored him.

"Twenty years." Kaylie said with a grin. "I can't wait to see who got bald, and who got fat." She said with a laugh. "Come on, it'll be fun. You know it will. And don't even try to use this excuse of a demon hunt to get out of it!"

"Yeah. I'll be sure to tell the boys not to plan this major demonic battle for that night." He said witha grin. Figuring it would all be over and done with by then anyway. They wanted to move fast on this.

"Good! Because I'm not going alone." She said with a chuckle. "Besides, I ran into Missy Petersen who saw Bianca McBride last month. She married the oh so cool quarterback," the one that Jack had beaten up in her defense in high school, "and he's really really not at his fighting weight from what I hear. I definitely have the cuter husband."

Jack laughed. "Always good to hear. Builds the cuter husband's ego." He told her as he moved toward the fridge in slightly wobbly steps to get something to eat.

She watched him, amused as he tried to walk straight to the fridge. "It'll be fun." And completely normal. Unlike, oh say, taking on a fallen angel. That still scared her.

"Oh yeah... fun... listening to all of them still acting like high school kids trying to out do each other." He said as he grabbed the fixings for a turkey sandwich. "But I'll go anyway."

Kaylie laughed. "We'll do the same thing we did in high school. Which islaugh at them and make out in a corner." She said as she found the mayo for him.

"You just want to make out in public again." He said with a grin. Not finding that a problem in the slightest.

ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF

Dean finished up at the garage. Tessa and Mary were with Rachel for a bit, seeing as her men had 'abandoned' her for the great out doors for the weekend. So he stared at the phone for a few moments and picked it up.

He could not believe he was breaking up with a girl over the phone.

It rang four times, then the machine picked up, and he winced. He couldn't believe he was about to break up with a woman's machine.

"Hey, it's me." He said. "Uh, look. I don't think that us seeing each other is a good idea anymore. So, yeah..."

Caitlin had been coming through the door at the end of a double shift just as the answering machine kicked in. "Oh, I know he just didn't..." she shook her head and headed back out the door and into her car. She was too tired to deal with it any other way.

It was 10 minutes later when she pulled up in front of his house and walked up to the door.

Dean sighed at the insistent pounding at his door. He could only hope it was Jack, back for round two. But he went to answer it anyway. "Hi." He said, uncomfortable. "Did the machine cut me off?"

"No. I walked in as the message played. Although I might consider cutting something off if you don't tell me what the hell brought all this on. Not that I thought this was going to be a committed for life relationship or anything but I did figureI ranked a little higher than dumping my answering machine."

"Okay, threats of violence and mutilation, guess I earned that." He said with a wince. "Look, it's just something I had to do, okay? Just...don't question me about it. Believe me, at the end of the day, I'm not the kind of guy a girl really wants in her life."

"So that's your excuse? Not the kind of guy ... bullshit." She said, part of her wondering why she had come there in the first place. But she was too tired to worry about tact or ramifications. After all he had dumped her, right? Wasn't like she could ruin their relationship "A moment of conscience about what? The fact that you hunt? The fact that you were on death row? What? You know... I have put up with a lot, but now not only did you disrespect me, you just insulted my intelligence."

Dean groaned in frustration. THIS was why relationships were bad. When he needed to pull away...to be fair to her...he came out looking like shit. Feeling like shit too. "I'm not the guy who can even give a false promise of happy ever after." Or even happy next month for that matter. "Trust me, there's a lot you don't know. Just leave it."

"Well, I have two days off in a row. But you better talk fast before I fall asleep on you." She said going straight for the coffee. "And for the record... I didn't ask for happily ever after. "  
Dean watched her go in utter amazement as she brushed past him and entered his house, confiscating his coffee. He could only shake his head at that. "I didn't realize there was anything to talk about." He said as he followed her into his kitchen and grabbed a beer.

"Yeah well ... there is." She said as she poured it black and left it that way. Not bothering with her usual cream and sugar. This was for caffeine not for enjoyment. "You don't break up with a woman's answering machine and not expect her to demand a few answers. Especially not after a double shift. Women had been known to do far worse in cases like this... to things that really matter to a guy... like his car or his computer ... so be thankful I'm just the drinking your coffee and demanding explanations type."

"Touching my car? The only way my behavior would rate is if I ditched you at the altar because I was too busy screwing your sister. Your mother. Cousins and a handful of aunts. Then maybe I'd say that rated." Dean said. "Look, you wouldn't understand, okay? Your life is blissfully normal, or was. And I'm the jack ass that nearly messed it up."

"Blissfully normal? I worked for five years in the ED. Normal doesn't apply after that. Okay so you showed me what's really out there. So you hunt those things down. I get that. Tell me this isn't because you are going off on some nasty hunt and you think this is going to spare me some sort of heart break or danger. Cause... that only works in novels and romantic adventure movies."

Dean's eyes shifted at that as he got up. Distracting himself with making a sandwich. He was not going to answer that one directly. "Five years in the ED still makes you normal." He said as he pulled out the supplies to make a sandwich.

"Depends on your definition of normal." She said. Things she had seen just from what humanity would do to one another took her understanding of the world beyond normal. "For all of that... you are normal too Dean. You just have a very abnormal job. Doesn't make you any less a man with normal emotions and reactions. Just means you have a lot more to deal with." She said and sighed finding herself leaning toward sympathetic. "So tell me the truth. Why did you take the cowards way out to dump me when you can face down things that would putmost men in the psych ward in a hug me jacket?"

"Because they haven't found a straight jacket I can get out of. Believe me, I think they've tried." Dean said. "Caitlin, just leave it alone. Okay? Just leave it be. You are better off not knowing what's going on in this crazy head of mine."

"Who gave you the right to make decisions on what is best for me?" She asked. "I choose what is best for me in my life, not you. You are not my husband or my father." She told him bluntly.

"I know that." Dean said as he clenched his jaw and worked on carefully spreading the mayo. Then the mustard. Carefully and precisely layering the lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and deli meat. "But it's in my head. Not yours. That makes it mine."

"Might make it your secret to keep or reveal but it doesn't make it your choice. You want to break up with me, that's fine. But don't tell me it's for my own good and leave it. "

"Or you could just respect my decision." Dean said. "The thought process behind it doesn't matter. Just believe me, you're better off."

"Yeah... cause you showed so much respect in your method." She shook her head and drained her coffee, hoping that would be enough to get her home again. She rinsed out her cup. "You know... you are a real jack ass. " She told him as she headed for the door. "Call me when you get your head out of your ass."

"Won't happen." Dean said. Not in a tone that he thought he'd always be a jack ass. But in an empty, haunting tone that said more clearly than he wanted to, that he wouldn't get to that day. Because he wouldn't be walking the earth. But hey, if she hated him, far easier for her.

She paused at the door. "Dean... I can't change your mind. Only you can do that. But... you're in trouble. I can see that. What ever it is... pushing me away isn't going to change anything. "

"Like I said. It's better for you." Dean said. "I hope you hate me." Though he really didn't, not really.

"If that was your plan... it failed." She said. "What ever happens to you... breaking up with me isn't going to change how it affects me. And if you think you are protecting me... you better hope you are better at hiding things from the bad guy than you are from me... because...you take transparent to a whole new level. "

"What are you talking about? I am perfectly opaque." Dean said with a scowl. "You don't know the inner reasoning that would surely get me a custom made hug me jacket after all."

She turned to face him once more and closed the door behind her. "Do I have to know the reasoning? It has something to do with a hunt. That is a given. If it's got that look on your face it has to do with THE demon. " She stepped closer. "The one that killed your parents, tortured you and tried to kill your daughter. Doesn't take a mind reader to figure that out. You don't want me hurt ... or you think that maybe if you make me hate you, I won't be hurt when you die or disappear or whatever else it is you have going on. So you pull this bone headed stunt knowing that it would piss me off, figuring with my temper I would just call it a day and move on. Because you are a lunk head who doesn't realize people really do care about you."

Dammit. He'd have to work on that opaque business after all. "Fine. We're going after THE demon, and I'm not coming back from it. I'm going to bleed out, intentionally, to seal his ass off this world. Happy?"

"No." She said quietly as she stepped closer to him, and caressed his face. "Do you really want to be alone right now?" She asked in return. Of all the damned fool things to plan. Of all the stupid, suicidal, sacrificial things to do. No she wasn't happy. Didn't want to see him die this way. But she couldn't bring herself to punish him for it either.

"No." He finally admitted. He never 'wanted' to be alone. Big flaw on his part, he supposed. "But it's easier if it's the ex boyfriend that dies in the car accident." He already had it worked out with Ben to cover up the real reason. Plus suicide negated his life insurance.

"You really are clueless, aren't you?" She said gently. "That's okay... that's what you have me around for. Now come on... tuck me into bed before I fall asleep on you." She said kissing him gently.

"Oh, so you're NOT going to kick my ass now?" Dean said with a chuckle. "That really didn't work according to plan."

"That's because you're clueless. Just accept it and go with it." Caitlin said. "If you understood women as well as you do demons... you might have had a chance."

"Clueless. Nice." Dean said with a shake of his head. "Come on, let's get you to bed before you pass out. I thought you just weren't home, forgot your double was today and not tomorrow."

"Now you are getting the idea." She said slipping an arm around his waist. She knew she would have to deal with the time bomb he had just dropped in her lap but that would have to wait until she was better equipped to handle the crisis. Right now... all she could manage to do was hold on to him.

"Eventually I catch on." Dean said with a laugh as they headed up the stairs. "So did we or didn't we break up? Cause make up sex is hot you know."

"Oh you definitely broke up with me. I just talked you out of it." She said with a grin. "So long as you realize this is make up sex and not break upsex, cause that can be hot too."

Dean laughed. "I'll break up with you next week just to test that little theory." Dean said with a grin.

"Yeah, but only if we make up again. I'm not that easy to get rid of...and all my brothers shoot as well as you do." She teased.

"Will doesn't." Dean said and laughed. "My father, if he had a grave, would be rolling in it right now. I'm dating a woman from a family full of cops." 


	8. Chapter 8

Maggie breathed deep. The air was searing hot or frigid cold depending on which level of hell you were on. It wasn't what you would expect hell to be... it was worse. Even the demons were miserable. But misery was something Magdalena Hsiao was familiar with. Loneliness and despair. The emptiness of being closed off from everyone and everything. Time melding into one long mind numbing scream. Only you never really reached numb. She made her way through the desolation. Souls wandering aimlessly, seeking what they could never have. A glimpse of light and love once more. Just one single solitary moment of peace from their own regrets. It should have worn her down, brought her to her knees and pulled what was left of her soul from her body. But Maggie was on a mission. Pain, fear and despair were nothing in the face of the mission. She would have liked to say that it was because she loved John, (even though the part of her that was still human did, very much) she would like to say that she owed his boys. But it wasn't. It was something intrinsically selfish. At least for a mother. She was in it to save her son. She followed her instincts, reforming that connection she had shared with the man so many years before, letting the faint imprint of his presence draw her onward until she found him.

John looked up from his torment. Torment he had borne silently, without complaint, without begging. Certainly without breaking. He went into this willingly, and seeing his oldest son alive had been worth it. That alone was worth anything in the world, including this.

"They're digging in deep for the torture now, aren't they?" He said flippantly. He'd gotten used to mocking what they considered torture. John was a hard man to torture. Even physical pain didn't do much other than a momentary scream.

"No." She said as she looked at him. She wasn't surprised that he was still the same old John. She would have turned to leave him to his torment had he been anything less. She needed the lion of a man she had fallen in love with. Nothing less was going to come through what lay ahead. "They didn't send me. I doubt they know I am here. Are you ready to break out of here or were you looking forward to the bamboo manicure?"

"They already tried that. Gave up when I asked what color they were going to paint them." He said with a smirk, oddly reminiscent of his oldest son's. "Break out of here? I can't. I made a deal."

"Your deal was to be sent to hell for your son to keep his life. You came to hell. Dean has kept his life, and has children of his own. Now... do you really want to stay here, or do you want out in time to see that yellow eyed son of a bitch die?" She asked with a smile.

Dean? Kids? Dean AND kids? He narrowed his eyes at Maggie. Perhaps she was just a figment here to try and torture him next. "How long have I been here?" He asked. It felt like an eternity and one second all at once. "Never mind." He waved his hand. "Fine. If this is just a trick, well, nothing they haven't pulled before." He said, with a tired echo to his voice. "But why do you care?"

"Because my son is going into that fight with them." She told him bluntly. "Had a lot of time in my own personal hell to regain a bit of my personality... and that is wrapped up in Jack. If they die in that fight... he will go down with them. "

When he had told Dean what he knew about Jack, it certainly wasn't to involve him in this war that had already cost them so much. "Somehow I don't see Dean having Sunday dinner with you." His scars, physical and mental, were far too deep. Even Sam was a stretch.

"He doesn't. He has Sunday dinner with Ben. I haven't been back there. I have been where you left me... and then here. "

"And if you get out of hell, do you pick up right where you left off?" He asked. That was the clincher. If he was getting out of hell only to put his sons in danger once again, that wasa no go.

"I don't get out." She said bluntly. It was a simple fact. She wasn't like John. She was a demon. One day she might be able to crawl out, but this deal with getting John out... it was going to cost her. Just to have the chance, it was going to cost her a great deal.

"So I'm expected to believe that you're going to trade places with me. After spending a decade trying to kill me? Not to mention you really think they won't notice that you're not me?" John asked doubtfully.

"I'm not trading places with you. I'm helping you get out, but who do you think is going to keep them from following you out the door and dragging you back here? I'm not here for you. I am here for my son."

"Why is it so important I be there?" John asked. Not that he wouldn't enjoy the satisfaction of seeing the demon finally die, but what did that really have to do with the price of tea in China? "What aren't you telling me?"

"Dean's blood... " She said pointedly, "was affected by that rite you put him through. What makes him the best to keep Sam on the right plane of existence makes his blood a powerful conduit. He plans to bleed himself out. If that happens, the plan will work but all three of your sons will likely die."

John nodded. "Makes sense now. Those other boys were just a cover for finally getting Dean back when he was a kid, wasn't it?" He said to Maggie. His past continually played out in front of his eyes, with outcomes different from reality.

"Yes. There is enough power in that boy's veins to set the world on fire." She told him as she moved to release his bonds. "We can debate this on the way."

"You're still not telling me something. I'm dead. I'm a spirit." John said. "Bringing me up to the real world to watch the showdown makes the difference?"

"That is a conversation to have while we are moving." She said, not wanting to be over heard particularly. "Let's just say demons aren't the only ones that can make deals."

John nodded. Fair enough. Even if this was a wild goose chase, just something to give him that hope only to rip it away painfully. That hope right now was enough. Was what everyone in hell wanted, just a taste of it.

"So other than the whole bleeding out thing, my boys are all right?" He asked. "All three of them?" Hell had given him a certain amount of perspective also.

"Yes, Jack is married, with 3 children, one on the way. Sam has adopted two boys... his girlfriend is pregnant. Dean is a widower but has two daughters one his, one adopted. Jack is a paramedic, Sam and Dean run a garage when they aren't hunting."

John counted. "Seven, almost nine." He said with a chuckle. His first real chuckle in a long time. "We're grandparents." That thought was hilarious really.

"Frightening thought, isn't it? Two people who shouldn't have had children, much less with each other... are now grandparents." She said as she led him through a narrow stretch of tunnels. "I should probably warn you this isn't going to be easy."

"Nothing's been easy." John said. He could pinpoint the exact moment in time when things had stopped being easy for him. November 2, 1983 actually. "The easiest thing I've ever done was choosing my son over myself."

"I know... I've done the same." It was just a different bargain. But it was done for the same reasons. To keep a son alive. Nothing was worse than watching your child die in your arms. Nothing hell could produce could truly equal that pain or sorrow.

"So I guess Dean saved Sammy." John mused. He knew Dean could do it. Just the threat that if he didn't, Sam would have to be killed was enough.

"I don't know the details on that, but yes. He did. " She told him and pulled him into a small niche in the wall, desolidifying into inky blackness to block him from view as others made their way through the steamy rough hewn corridors.

John watched the others walk by, not noticing him at all. "We better move before they notice I'm gone." John said once they'd passed. "Believe me, I'm prime entertainment here."

"With that winning personality of yours... I can't say I am surprised."ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTFSam looked around the bar and nodded. It wasn't the Hilton, but it would do for a few days to keep their family safe. If things went south, he trusted Ben to find a way to protect them all from the demon's wrath. There was no one else that could do it. "Okay." He said with a ragged sigh. "It's time."

Ben nodded and made sure he was within the last line of protection that was laid down. It was indiscriminatory, it would have locked him out as well. He looked around his bar, and the first thing he thought of was how long this was going to take to clean up. "Good luck."

Tessa ran for her newly adopted father and held tight to him. She had a very bad feeling about all of this. Very bad. Mary stood behind the girl and waited her turn. It was a good sign that Caitlin was here. Meant her dad hadn't broken up with her. That was a good sign... on more than one level.

Dean didn't have to words to promise everything was going to be okay. But he tried. "Everything's going to be fine." He said. "Just bea good girl, listen to the adults, and this will all be over soon. This whole nightmare will be over." He said to Tessa and hugged her tightly. This probably wasn't the smartest thing he'd ever done, but it was the only thing he could do, so he hoped it evened out.

"I love you, Daddy." She said, still holding tightly to him. "It's okay, Dad." Mary said. "I'll keep an eye on the rug rat for you till you get back."Bobby watched the scene and shook his head. Winchesters. Damned suicidal self sacrificing Winchesters. It was downright pathological as far as he was concerned.

"Don't worry about Simon." Rachel said to Sam. "Even if he won't listen to Ben, he'll listen to me." Which could work out better, actually.

"I know." He said as he pulled the woman he loved closer to him. "He and I worked a lot out this weekend. I think it's gonna be alright." The Ben situation wouldn't resolve itself ever. On either side. But they were at least at a truce. "I love you." He murmured in her ear.

"You'll get through this, and we'll see all those plans we've made realized." Rachel said with a smile.

Ben looked at Jack. "You three owe me. Big time. Cranky old hunter, seven kids, one of which shot me, two pregnant women..." But he was teasing.

"I'll work something out." Jack said with a grin. "Be careful." He told his foster father. "Sounds like it could be more dangerous here than out there."

"Hey!" Kaylie said, forcing herself to laugh. "Now you OWE me for that comment, buddy. And you can BET I'm going to collect on that one."

"You better." Jack said with a smile as he hugged her to him tightly before moving to embrace each of his children, making sure to tell them how much he loved them.

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this." Dean said to Caitlin. And he was.

"You didn't." Caitlin said. "Remember... I chose to be here. I chose this... and I chose you... whatever that may mean after today." She said as she closed her hand around his. She wished she could change his decision but that wasn't going to happen. Not now.

He nodded, though he didn't quite agree with her. But there was only so much he could mention in front of his kids, on all aspects.

Bobby handed Sam the last of the research he'd come up with. "Your dad would be proud of you."

Sam took the papers. "Thank you." He said although he wasn't so sure of that himself. He had done so much wrong over the years. So many things he regretted. So many ways he was sure he was shorting his sons' training, leaving them vulnerable. "I hope you are right. Hope it's a little while longer before I find out in person."

"So do I." Bobby said. "Just go finish this, and then we'll see if you can out drink this old hunter, okay?" He said, clapping the boy he'd seen grow up more than the man in front of him.

"Sounds like a plan to me." He said and looked to his brothers. Walking away from their families like this. He didn't know how his father managed it. Especially knowing how much the man cared for the two of them. He got that now.

Dean took a deep breath and hugged his children one more time. "Come on." He said. Before he lost the nerve. But he was going to walk out of here calmly and collected.

All three brothers turned and left in unison. In silence. Sam was preparing himself for the exorcism to come. He knew it would be the hardest one of his career. It could be the sort of exorcism that could take his life. He pulled his St Michael's medallion from under his shirt, and said a quick prayer as he walked to the car. Jack looked at Dean but said nothing. It wouldn't change anything. Dean was set on this course, just as Jack was set on his.

Dean avoided Jack's look and just walked in silence to the car, getting in the driver's seat and exhaling. "Okay, here we go." He said as he popped a random CD into the radio. Because silence would give Jack too much chance to talk and possibly spill the beans.

Jack had packed the cooler in the trunk while Dean was inside. He didn't have any worries about that. It was just... all so final. So ... hopeless. Sam handed Bobby's last round of research back to Jack to look at. He needed to focus on other things right now. They were walking into hell itself tonight. Perhaps not literally... but there would be enough of its minions there to warrant a little extra preparation on their part. He opened the book of rituals that had been left to him by Father Pavel. Its pages were nearly twice his age. Some of the scraps of paper with notes on them were older than he was, and he looked at them reverently, wishing he could draw from the older man's strength in that moment.

Dean pulled out and headed to New Orleans. "Damn, I missed Mardi Gras again this year." He cracked as he pulled onto the free way. "We can go next year." Sam said. "Leave the kids with Rachel." He turned another page, looking for something in the thin yellowed pages that he had missed before, something new to draw from.

Dean just nodded. He wasn't going to respond to that, even as he felt Jack's eyes boring into the back of his head. He shifted in the seat. "I hate rental cars." He said with a scowl, but if Mary was going to get the Impala, she was going to (one) be able to find it and (two) have it in great condition.

"I know." Jack said, wishing he could come up with something to tease his brother about. Something to take the weight out of the air. God, he wanted to just tell Sam the truth about it all so that they could get it out in the open, say their goodbyes. "You okay?" Sam asked Jack turning to look at him over the shoulder. He didn't like to think that they were bringing Jack into this when he wasn't ready for it. Jack wasn't a hunter, no matter how often they took him along on their hunts.

"He's fine." Dean said, meeting Jack's eyes in the rear view mirror. "Just scared about the outcome like the rest of us." He admitted, then he cracked a grin. "And wondering how much Kaylie's going to kill him for this."

"As long as I am back for the delivery and well enough to participate, she won't kill me. Might make me wish she had though." He said, willing Dean to tell the truth. Just tell the truth so they were both prepared for this.

"You'll be back for the delivery." Dean said, laughing. "Even if she has to squeeze her legs together and stand on her head, she's not going to pop that kid out without you there."

"Oh now there's an image." Jack said. "I suspect she would summon me back from the afterlife to be at the birth if it came to that. Thenmake sure to kick my ass all the way back for making it necessary."

"Now that could be an interesting show." Dean said. Though he had no intentions of bringing his brothers with him. Because this is why he was doing this. "Hey, you're the one that fathered the kid, not us. So any and all ramifications are purely yours."

"Yeah well... you know she will blame the two of you if I am not back in time." Jack said with a sad smile. Sam looked between his brothers. "I can imagine she will." He could tell something was up but couldn't sort out what it was. And the two of them were very carefully skirting around whatever it might be.

"Whatever happened to brotherly loyalty? You're going to sic your five foot wife on us?" Dean said, laughing. "Dude, that's not right." Anything to get away from the subject Jack was trying to bring up. He'd talk about the hunt, he'd talk about pregnant women, and he'd even discuss Caitlin. Anything but that. Sam didn't need that, it was bad enough that Jack knew.

"Speaking of feisty women... are you and Caitlin getting serious?" Sam asked, needing a break from his dark thoughts. "I was picking up on some serious vibes going on. Especially if she could manage to tell you no about breaking up with her."

"Yeah, that didn't go as expected." Dean said with a laugh. "Though I'm not sure her machine has forgiven me yet. I don't know, we'll see I guess. After this..." Which was why he tried to break up with her in the first place!

"I'm impressed that she let you live." Sam said. "Not many women will forgive a man for breaking up with her answering machine. Much less tell him no." He grinned a little. "I'd hang onto that one if I were you."

"I was planning on it." Dean said with a chuckle. "And I managed to get in deep right under your noses. Both of you! Damn I'm good."

"We've been a little distracted lately." Sam said with a smile. "What with new babies on the way and sons with shot guns... daughters that want to play with fire... "

"Yeah, yeah. Excuses, excuses." Dean said with a laugh as he crossed into Louisiana. "I'm just that good. And Mary's just that quiet. I thought for sure she'd run off and tell Kaylie at least. Then again, Kaylie's memory is likecheesecloth some days." He said with a chuckle. Came with late pregnancy. Sometimes Chavi wouldn't remember things he'd just said to her. It passed, but it happened.

"Yeah... but not the days I screw up on." Jack said with a laugh. "She will forget to pass on three messages...or that we are supposed to go to dinner at her mother's... but if I forget to bring home the milk after my shift... that she remembers." It was normal. First pregnancy it had driven him buggy. Now he just came to expect it.

"And you still keep getting her pregnant." Dean said with a snort. "I guess you're learning speed is really low, huh?" He teased his brother. "Now, Sammy here, he thought he was getting off easy. The whole adopting already potty trained and talking, walking kids. Guess that will teach him to count his eggs before they hatch."

"Yeah... Dean has one of each. Mr. Macho with all daughters. You think he's over protective of Mary, wait until Tessa starts dating. Or wanting to date. I fully expect him to talk to Ben about investing in an all girls' day school."

"Don't tempt me." Dean said with a chuckle. "Or give Jack any ideas. I mean, Abby's probably gonna look like her mother...with the added Winchester blood."

"Abby is going to be a handful long before she starts dating. She already thinks she rules the world." Jack said, going with the illusion for the time being even though it was ripping him apart inside.

"Yeah, and she's got Tessa as her lady in waiting." Dean said with a laugh. "They're all going to be exceptional kids, I guarantee it."

"They have no choice. They live in an exceptional reality." Sam said. "Nothing about them, their world or their lives will ever be normal... and that isn't as bad as it sounds. "

"No, it's not." Dean said with a nod. "They'll be all right. I think we should stop for food." he said suddenly. Before Jack snapped.

"Some place we can sit down maybe. Not take out." Sam said. "We aren't far out." He told them. "It's a good transition point here. "

ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF

Ben was sprawled across the floor, playing a board game with Abby and Mark, watching everything. Things were closing in, he could feel it. Good thing for all the protections, because he knew it was just a matter of time before half the demon world was at his door step.

"Did you stock the kitchen?" Kaylie asked.

"Sure. There's enough Jolt cola and cat food to feed us for a while." Ben said as he moved his game piece.

"Cat food, huh?" Caitlin asked. "Think he's trying to tell us something?" She grinned as she said it. She was playing with Tessa's hair, while Mary was reading the girl a story. The two of them claimed to be working so hard at keeping the little one distracted but in truth they were distracting themselves as well.

Ben laughed. "Of course I stocked the kitchen. The guys went on a spree and bought everything you guys could possibly want. Including you, Kaylie."

"We're not still married just because he's cute you know." Kaylie said with a laugh. "I'm going to make something to eat then. Any volunteers to help?"

"I'll help." Rachel said, motioning for the others to stay seated. "I think we can handle it. " She said, but found her two shadows right on her heels. "We'll help too." Simon said. He had promised his dad he would stick close to Rachel and that was exactly what he was going to do.

"I think Kaylie's pretty harmless right now." Kevin whispered to Simon, but followed them in anyway.

Kaylie laughed. "Oh just wait, Rachel." She said. "Sooner or later you'll forget what your feet look like too. But hey, whoever can get stuff off the shelves is welcome!"

Simon wasn't worried about Kaylie being a danger. He was worried that if he let Rachel out of his sight, the demon would find a way to get to her. "It's okay. We promised Dad we'd help.""I can't wait." Rachel said "After four, this must be old hat to you. Me... It's all new... hoping for a girl to offset all the testosterone in the house. Maybe someone that isn't going to grow up to be an exorcist or demon hunter extraordinaire."

"Wouldn't that be a trick?" Kaylie said as she pulled out some pans. "Luckily for me, Mark has no interest in all that. It's one less worry. Bad enough my husband is a part time hunter."

"Isn't a hunter something you either are or aren't?" Simon asked as he started chopping vegetables per Rachel's instructions."No honey. It's more like Jack isn't a hunter at all... just very protective of his big brothers." Rachel told him. Jack wasn't a hunter. Not at all. She smiled.

"I don't know how you do it." Kaylie said. "With Sam always running off on a hunt or an exorcism. I'm all tied up in knots if Jack so much asdiscusses a hunt, even if only for research."

"Sam has been a hunter as long as I've known him. Although I guess I see him more as an exorcist. He doesn't really have the heart for it... the real hunting. Sam, I mean. No, that's all Dean... like father like son those two... or so I have been told. "

"I wouldn't know." Kaylie said. She'd never met John Winchester either. "But I hope not. Course, I see John through Jack's perspective, but I hope Dean wouldn't put on his girls what was put on him and Sam. And Dean's proved he could live a normal life for the most part. That's a good sign I think."

"He fakes his way through it well enough. So does Sam really. You can see it in what he does with the boys. How he trains them so hard. Life isn't normal in that family. Suppose it would be foolish of me to hope that it could ever be. Fortunately Sam is worth the effort. Very much worth the extra effort." Again that smile.

Kevin gave her a strange look. "Dad doesn't push us." He said, handing her the cheese. "Believe me, I want to train more than he lets me." It had to be the situation, or the nerves, or something.

She smiled at Kevin. "I guess I am new to the hunter family life style. You boys grew up in it even before you came to live with Sam. I suppose all the training must be a normal thing for you." She said. "This must be so hard for you...knowing that you could lose another father. "Simon looked at Kevin with a frown. Something was off. Had to be the demon's fault somehow. Then again... did he really know Rachel all that well? He had only really known her a short while... and Sam was always around somewhere.

"No one is going to lose anyone." Kaylie said forcefully, putting her hand over her swollen belly as the baby kicked her. "They're coming home. Don't say otherwise."

"Of course they're coming home." Kevin said to Simon. "Uncle Dean and Sam? They're the best there is."

Simon nodded. "My real parents... they had heard of the Winchesters. They've been doing this a long time. They'll come back. Besides... it's an exorcism. Sam even have church authority now... they are sending the slime ball back to hell where he belongs."

"Exactly." Kevin said. "All this is just a paranoid precaution because, well, they're paranoid." Kevin said with a grin. "It's all right, it's not so bad."

"Yes... paranoid." Rachel said. "They will definitely be back. Probably before we know it." She smiled as she went about the motions of cooking.

"I hope so." Kaylie said. She and Jack never did that well apart. Ever since that time with his grandfather, there was a deep rooted fear for the other whenever they were separated for long. She pulled a stool up to sit on as she made the salad. "So we'll just do the best we can until they come back. Hopefully before Ben decides to up the stakes in Monopoly and play for real money."

"Maybe we should have said yes when he asked us to play." Simon said, more to lighten his own mood than anything else. The last thing he wanted to do was sit across a game board from that ... demon.

Kaylie laughed, she understood how much it took for Simon to even joke about that. "You should have." She teased. "At the very least the stakes will be raised to candy."

"Yeah, that's what Simon needs. Candy." Kevin said with a chuckle as he started grating the cheese. "Are you all right?" He asked Rachel quietly.

She looked at the boy, young man really, as if peering into his very soul "I'm tired. Worried... otherwise fine." She told him and rested a hand on his back for a moment.

"Okay." Kevin said, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up a bit. But he was locked in a strip club with his family and a demon. How else was he supposed to feel?

"Ready." Kaylie said, sliding off the stool with the salad. "Anyone hungry?"

"Famished... and hoping it will stay down." Rachel said. "At least he has plenty of crackers here." She smiled again.

"Oh I remember those days." Kaylie said with a laugh. She'd finally gotten over the morning sickness, oh, about last week or so.

"Finally! Food." Mark said, getting off the floor to get some.

"Hey! Didn't see you helping. Don't complain!" Kaylie said fondly.

"This from the woman that chases me out of the kitchen." Mark said playfully."Cause you can't cook, that's why." Abby supplied as she rolled the dice one last time, moving the little car around 'Go'. "200 dollars please."

"Yes, ma'am." Ben said with a chuckle. He was the banker and handed the little girl the money. "Now go eat before your mother confiscates your winnings." He said with a wink.

"Come on, kiddo." Mary said to Tessa, closing the book. "Let's get some food before the next chapter." She was glad Caitlin was there. It was nearly like having an adult there for them, like the others, as childish as that thought sounded.

Caitlin got to her feet and walked with them over to the table. She couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen to the girls when this was all over. She knew that they were supposed to go to Sam and Rachel if Sam made it back alive. Otherwise to Kaylie. But what a nightmare that was going to be for them. To not only lose their father, but to have their lives turned upside down. Especially poor Tessa. She didn't think the girl would make it through another loss. She smiled whether she felt like it or not as they settled at the table, or rather series of tables pulled together to make one Winchester sized table. Rachel sat between the boys. "Kevin and Simon were great help in the kitchen. ""Yeah, Kevin is good at girly things." Mary teased lightly.

"Hey, the best chefs in the world are men." Kevin said with a laugh. "Besides, knowing how to cook is a completely necessary life skill. Otherwise we starve."

"It's still girly." Mary said eyes twinkling. "Get him under the hood of a car and he is like the anti-mechanic."

"I'm sorry. Not everyone can be as butch as you." He said with a chuckle as he tugged on one of her curls as he passed. "You still have the corner on that market."

"It's like listening to Sam and Dean all over again." Ben said, shaking his head with amusement as he got Benji into the booster seat.

"I know." Bobby said. "Those two would start fussing at each other and it wouldn't stop for days when they were teenagers.""When they were teenagers?" Rachel said. "I don't think that process has ever stopped."

"Then Dean roped Jack into it." Ben said with a laugh. Jack and Sam didn't go at it quite as hard, but Dean and Jack could nearly achieve the Dean-Sam level at times. "Imagine what I went through when they were both living with me."

"You survived." Kaylie said with a laugh as she helped dish out the food.

"The hard part was dealing with a Dean-free Sam." Bobby said, being the only one that Sam had felt safe staying in close contact with during the time he had been in exile.

"I can imagine he was a miserable bastard." Ben said as he took his plate from Kaylie. "I had to deal with moping Sam-Free Dean for nearly two years."

"Those two... they were pretty solidly bonded to each other. I don't think one is gonna out live the other by much. Good thing they are both to damned stubborn to give in and die."

That was what Ben was afraid of as he glanced at Simon and Kevin. Because Dean was not too stubborn, he was going to give in and die, in his own way, more or less on his own terms. So what did that mean for Sam?

"Well, let'shope we don't have to test that theory." He said as he shoveled food into his mouth, so he'd be forced to keep it shut. Manners and all.

Caitlin looked at her plate for a moment, suddenly losing her appetite. "I'll be right back. Excuse me." She said and headed for the ladies room before she opened her mouth...or worse started crying.

Everyone at the table watched Caitlin go, but Rachel got up. "I'll go." She said, waving everyone else down. She went into the ladies room and leaned against the counter. "Are you all right?" She asked.

"Yeah." Caitlin managed. "I guess I'm not used to this life yet. Kinda hard to keep the confident mask up when they're talking about death and separation... how do you manage it?" She asked hoping she was covering well enough.

"Easily enough." Rachel said with a smile. "I know Sam is coming back from this. The problem is, you know Dean's not, don't you? Somehow, you know that."

Caitlin looked up sharply. "I don't know any such thing. I'm just afraid that he won't, is all." She said. Rachel was off somehow. She didn't know what was going on, but something was off.

"I used to get that feeling." Rachel said. "It's hard, I know. I wondered sometimes why I stayed with Sam, knowing the stakes. But why do you stay with Dean? He gave you the perfect out."

"I didn't want an out." Caitlin said. "Dean's a good man. He didn't really want what he was asking for anyway. " She frowned, wondering how she had known but then remembered the brothers joking about it in the club before they left.

"Good man?" Rachel said. "He left his family to go chasing after a demon on a maybe suicide trip. Right now, even I'm having doubts about Sam."

"They went on this trip to make sure their family was safe. That they wouldn't have to deal with this yellow eyed demon ever again. You know...if you're having some doubts about your relationship... this really isn't the time to dwell on that. You're gonna feel guilty about it later if he doesn't come back."

"My relationship with Sam has always been strong. He always comes back to me." Rachel said. "You've dated him for maybe two months. What makes you an authority on all things Winchester?"

"I'm not... but Dean's pretty easy to read if you let yourself get to know him. Wouldn't know a thing about how to read Sam. He seems like a good man, though. Family trait, I guess."

Rachel shook her head. "Whatever makes you feel secure." She said. "But those poor kids." She said, shaking her head.

"You almost sound like you know something." Caitlin said. "Did Dean tell you something about what's going on out there?" She asked, trying not to give anything away. This chick was seriously digging. Caitlin just didn't know if she were digging for information or blood at this point.

"I'm a social worker. You think I don't know how to read people? He was saying good bye, the whole vacation he was saying good bye. He doesn't plan to come back. You and I both know that. And Jack and Ben aren't as quiet as they like to think they are." Rachel said. "Is that why you stayed with him?"

"No... I stayed with him because I wanted as much time as I could have with him. You don't really think I would grieve less just because we broke up do you?" She asked. "Those kids can't know... I don't care what you think is best for them as their aunt and a social worker... do not tell those girls what you think is going on."

"Don't you think they should be prepared? Or should they just be shocked when they bring his bloody body back?" Rachel retorted. This was nearly too easy.

"Nothing is going to prepare them for that. There is nothing good that could come from them sitting there knowing it's going to happen, and wondering if it's happened yet or why he chose to die over staying with them. You know better. What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing." Rachel said. "What's wrong with you? You've been part of his life for two months. We didn't even know you two were anywhere near serious, and you think that gives you the right to make decisions? You're not his wife, she's dead. You're not those girls' mothers, they're both dead."

"Dean made the decision not to tell them. I'm backing up his decision. Who exactly is it you are to them? Their uncle's fiancé? You aren't even the boys' mother legally yet so don't start acting all superior just because you don't agree. It was Dean's choice and you can deal. "

"The only reason you're here is because you're a nurse and Kaylie's in her last trimester." Rachel said evenly. "It certainly has nothing to do with the fact that you just coincidentally happen to be the bitch that Dean was screwing for the moment."

"If that was all he wanted, he wouldn't have tried to break up with me like he did." Wow that sounded backwards, even as she said it, but it made sense if you knew Dean. "You know... I thinkI've had all the cheering up I can handle from you," without punching your lights out that is, "so if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go check on the girls."

Rachel smirked. "Fine." She said, moving away from the door. "Be my guest. For the moment they're fine." She said as she followed Caitlin out and sat back down at the table. "Did we miss anything?" She asked brightly.

"No... Not a thing." Bobby said, looking between the two women then glancing at Ben to see if he noticed anything was up too.

Ben just kept shoveling food in his mouth. He'd gone through three platefuls already. Not bad for a demon that technically didn't need to eat more than once every few months. But he knew his own limitations. And one of those was tact. In that he didn't have any. But if he kept his mouth full, he couldn't be asked to comment. But he met Bobby's eyes, he'd noticed something...off.

Bobby gave him the faintest of nods to show that he understood. Bobby knew what Ben was doing. He had given Dean the damned research in the first place and wished that he hadn't. Caitlin didn't want to eat, didn't want to be there, anywhere near Sam's bitch fiancé. But she wasn't going to leave those girls alone with her either. So she sat down and began to eat.

"Ben, you okay?" Kaylie asked.

"I'm fine." He said between mouthfuls. This was harder than he thought. Breaking bread with Mary and Tessa, knowing what he knew. "This is good." He said, as if that explained it all.

Kaylie nodded. "All right." She couldn't help but look at the clock again. It barely seemed to have moved.

"This is really good, Kaylie." Rachel said as she started to eat again.

They ate in silence, there was too much unsaid and not enough to say at the same time. Then Ben got up. "Come on, Bobby, show me where you want your mattress." He said. Bobbyhad a special mattress, because of his arthritis and bionic hip.

Bobby got up and reached for his cane. "No, you boys stay put and finish your dinner or help clean up or something." He said with Simon and Kevin got up ostensibly to help. "Ben can handle it, I'm sure." He said and started to walk away from the group.

Ben waited until they were across the club from everyone else. "There's something going on here." He said with a shudder. "It's like I can feel something pressing against the walls. And I don't know who's not 'right,' Caitlin who I barely know, or Rachel who's pregnant and high strung. I don't like this. And with what we know? And the girls? If they make it through this, I'm going to strangle them myself."

"Trust me... you'll have help. Caitlin knows." Bobby said. Dean had told him that much. "It could be nothing but nerves and way too many pregnant women in one location...but I don't think so." Bobby was alive at his age because he had learned to trust his instincts. "Might not even be them that's ... wrong... But I think it is."

"So what do you want to do? Break out the holy water? Just be sure to miss me, okay? Since I am moving your damn bed and all." Ben said with a hint of a grin.

"Let's not go that far just yet. So far all we have is a couple of women... who have men they love out there facing a fallen angel, acting a little weird. It's time to be careful but not paranoid."

"You're right." Ben said with a nod. "Guess we'll just watch. Maybe work on keeping Caitlin and Rachel separated at least."

"Yeah, I'm a little old to appreciate a good cat fight these days. Other than that, so far so good. They should be getting to the site soon now." Bobby said with a sigh. He hated this. Every second of it.

"I know." Ben said. "That's when the fun will really begin. I'm going to check the protections again." Because once it began, there would be forces outside clamoring to get in to make the Winchesters pay for this."Yeah... I'll go double check the weapons." Bobby said, just in case the precautions didn't hold. Wouldn't be the first time something had gone wrong. He just wanted to make sure if it did... it wasn't the last.

ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF ITNOTF

Dean looked around the graveyard in New Orleans. "Okay, here we go." He said, taking a deep breath, checking his coat and making sure he had his knife on him in easy reach. They'd managed to get through the meal and the rest of the drive without Jack giving into temptation to tell Sam, so far so good.

Sam strode slowly, toward the place he had chosen for the ritual. His demeanor changed as he walked. As though he were sliding into that authority he had been given like a second skin. He opened himself up to the power that flowed through him, this time with prayer, rising to it rather than sinking into its blackness.He took out his stole and draped it over one shoulder as was proper for a deacon. He took several items from the pockets of his long black coat and looked at both of his brothers and took a deep breath.

Dean nodded back at Sam as he started his own part of the ritual, making the marks on the ground with chalk around the chosen site, circling his brothers, protective marks in front of them as well. There'd be one for him, though he was going to just step over it when the time came anyway.

Sam looked at his brothers. "I want to give a blessing before we start." Sam said. "We could use all the added oomph we can get." He was getting a bad feeling about this that he couldn't explain. He didn't want to waste any opportunity to banish it.

"Dude, come on." Dean said with a scowl. A blessing for him was pointless. He knew that. "Can we just do this?""Dean... please... if for nothing else, for my peace of mind." Sam said."Come on." Jack said. "Let's give Sam a little peace of mind, Dean... Least we can do... don't you think?" He said, looking at Dean pointedly.

Dean glared at Jack. That was a low blow. But he gave Sam a short nod. "Fine. Let's just be quick, okay? We're on a time line, right?"

"We have time." Sam said as he drew his brothers in close to him and went through the short rite, anointing each of his brothers. If they had been Catholic as well, he would have given the Eucharist as well, but it wouldn't have the desired effect if they didn't believe. That sacrament required their faith...a blessing required only his.

Dean humored his brothers, both of them. Though he was uncomfortable, seemed like messing with a religion to him. So he just went through the bars of a Metallica song in his head as Sam did his thing. Helped calm him down, always had. And right now, was a time to be calmed down.

Sam nodded, he was comforted by the ritual, but the look of resignation in his brother's eyes worried him. Something was seriously off. But now wasn't the time to do anything about it. He would have to take it as it came. He stood at his appointed position and began the summoning. His tone resonated through the cemetery, echoing off of tombstones and trees. He spoke the demon's name, not the one mankind had given him, but the one given him by the all mighty Himself at his creation. The ground seemed to shudder at the angelic language.

Dean did his part, Jack did his part, but they both paused as the ground seemed to shudder under them for a moment. Then they waited.

Five minutes later, Dean looked at his brothers. "Shouldn't something have happened by now?"

"Yes it should." Sam said with a frown as he called the name again, in full cry, and was only rewarded with the earth shuddering... and nothing afterward. "Only a couple of reasons the son of a bitch wouldn't show up." Sam said. "Don't suppose we can consider ourselves lucky and figure he's dead?" Jack asked."He's contained somewhere..." Sam said.

"You think someone else got to him first?" Dean asked. That would just figure. The Winchesters couldn't be the only family he pissed off after all.

itnotf itnotf itnotf itnotf itnotf itnotf itnotf itnotf itnotf itnotf itnotf itnotf itnotf Rachel winced, then got up to begin pacing. Discomfort was evident on her face."You okay?" Simon asked worriedly "I'm fine." She said in clipped tones, doing her best not to look at anyone directly.

Ben looked at Rachel. Yeah, she was all right. He looked at the clock and back at Rachel and knelt down by Benji and Abby. "Why don't you two go check on your mom?" He suggested.

"Okay." Abby said and got to her feet, holding her hand out for her little brother."Why don't you go with them, Tess?" Mary said, picking up that Ben was sending the little ones out of the room.

Ben circled the room, all the protections were in place. Which meant creatures like him couldn't leave, even if they wanted to. He stood in front of Rachel and met her eyes, finally. "Problem?" He asked, with the slightest grin on his face.

"Nothing I can't handle" She said, smiling that same, annoying, knowing smile that had been on her face all day. "What about you, Ben, any pesky annoying little problems you want to get rid of?"

"Oh, there's a bunch." He said. And he had to do it. He was part human, so the human part of him allowed him to say the word, even if it caused the rest of him pain. "Christo." He said, grabbing his head in pain, but keeping his eyes on Rachel.Her eyes flashed black then shifted to a nauseating shade of yellow. "Now that wasn't nice, although gotta admit, pretty funny that it kicked you in the head too."

"Kicks me in the head less than you." Ben said as he grabbed Rachel by the throat and slammed her against the wall. "Kinda trapped here, aren't you? Part of the plan? Think it's going to work out? Shit but you're a stupid demon."

"What are you gonna do, half breed, kill the girl? Kill that baby inside of her? We'll see how well that goes over with Sam won't we... See how long Jack can keep choosing a demon over his flesh and blood then."

"If I have to." Ben said. Though he was hoping the demon would give up the girl before then. "Mary, get everyone into the other room, lay down salt, do what you have to. And don't come out!"

Mary started to move the remaining children into the other room, with Caitlin's help. Simon looked to Kevin, completely at a loss seeing what was playing out before his eyes. He knew they needed to do something. He just wasn't sure what yet.

Ben looked at Simon and Kevin, hesitating. "Go!" He roared at them, giving Rachel the distraction to kick him off her, and he slid right into the wall across the room. He shook himself out as he stood up. "You're going to have to play a lot harder than that."

Simon looked at Kevin for a split second longer then ran toward the toys that had been brought in for the younger girls. He knew how much Tessa liked to draw. Ben might strangle him later but it would be worth it. "Grab the journal." He called to his older brother as he chose two black markers.

Great. Now he'd have to protect two potential targets because they wouldn't listen. Why would they? He was just a demon after all. He looked at Rachel. "Just let her go. I personally don't have too much of a problem with you, yet."

"And where would the fun be in that?" Azazel asked. "Or maybe you have another host in mind... which one should it be? You know it won't be the one you don't care about. That would make it too easy on you. Then again those pesky promises... and your broad spectrum interpretations get you in so much trouble that way. You have to protect every last one of them, don't you?"

Ben backhanded her. "You think you can get past me, you're welcome to try." He said. "I'm not easy to push around."

"I don't have to. I just have to stay put. Not like any one is leaving here are they. Well... they could... but it might get messy."Mary grabbed two canisters of salt. "Okay, Mark, I need you to start pouring the salt in a circle- you start that way, I will go this way." She said taking control of the situation in true Winchester fashion.

Kaylie looked at Mary and Caitlin as most of the kids came in, and Mary started directing Mark about salt. "What's going on?" She asked, getting out of her chair and heading for the door to have a look.

"No...don't go out there." Caitlin said as she moved toward Kaylie. "We have unwanted company out there." She wasn't about to let Kaylie get in the line of fire out there. Sam's boys had yet to head back that way, but she couldn't do anything about that.

"Where's Rachel?" She said, she could see Simon and Kevin drawing on the floor, and recognized what they were starting to draw. "Oh God, it's Rachel." She said as she took a deep breath and held her bulging stomach. "No, not now." She whispered.

Caitlin looked up into the other woman's face "Come on... let's get you off your feet. See what we can do to slow this down." She said. This was something she understood. Something she could do. Something to keep her mind off of the thought that Dean might be out there sacrificing himself for nothing. "Anyone in here have a cell phone?" She asked as she directed Kaylie into the salt circle.

"I do." Kaylie said as she sat back down as a contraction seized her again and dialed her husband. "Come on, Jack. Really don't have time for voice mail. Really really don't."

Ben glanced into the room and saw Mary making protections. Good. "Come on, can you get past me or not? Don't tell me you're scared of the half breed."

Jack answered his cell phone on the 4th ring. "Yeah." He said still keeping a close watch on their surroundings in case the demon was just slow in arriving.

"Hey baby, it's me." Kaylie said, and breathed through a contraction. "I know you're busy, but listen. Do you want the bad news, or the really really bad news first?"

"Okay... ahm... let's go with the really really bad news... that usually makes the bad news not sound quite so bad." He said, suddenly worried.

"Okay. Your ritual didn't work and I know why. That demon is trapped in here with us." She said as she could hear thumping in the other room, so loud Jack could probably hear it. Ben and Rachel throwing each other around. "It's in Rachel."

He looked at Sam and figured he would relay that information once he could lend a little more support to his brother. "Okay." He said taking a deep shuddering breath. "What's the bad news?"

"My water broke five minutes ago." Kaylie said. She was still five weeks from her due date. "Ben and Rachel are in the other room batting each other around, I know Ben won't let her near us, Mary laid down salt..." She said, reverting back to her adolescent habit of talking as fast as she could to get as much information out there as possible.

"I'm on my way, we will be there in a few minutes. Hang on, okay, Baby... just hang on." He told her quickly. "I love you." He hung up and turned to look at his brothers. "Sam... god I'm sorry... we ahm... have serious trouble""What's wrong?""The demon is trapped inside the bar with the others... Rachel is possessed. " He said as he started to gather everything up that they would need later. "And Kaylie's water broke. We have to get back there an hour ago." He added, the near panic evident in his voice.

"Okay, okay." Dean said as calmly as he could. "Sam will take us back. We'll deal with everything we need to deal with. We'll handle it." He didn't know how, but he'd figure out a way.

"Yeah... grab the cooler out of the car. It's important that it go with us." Jack said to Dean as he looked to Sam,who looked shell shocked. He was gathering things and tucking them into his many pockets as though he were in a haze."My fault." Sam muttered quietly.

Dean went over to Sam and shook him by the shoulders. "Sam! Later!" He said. "Right now we have to GO!" Rachel was possessed and Kaylie was about to deliver her fourth child. That one should come nice and quick.

"Right." Sam said pulling himself out of it. "We'll have to find a way to trap her there until we can perform the exorcism." Sam said. He was going to lose his child. There was a chance he was going to lose Rachel too. He had seen far too many people die during an exorcism. It was too taxing physically. But there was no choice... he couldn't leave her in that torment no matter what the outcome. Part of him hoped that he died with them.

Jack went to the car and pulled out the chest himself. Dean was rightly distracted by Sam. He wasn't going to leave this behind. It was too important, especially in the face of it all. "Let's go." Jack said as he set it down on the ground before the others.

"One thing at a time." Dean said to his brother and released his shoulders and nodded at Jack. "Delivered a baby recently?"

Jack smiled shakily. "Not recently, but there is a nurse there with her, thanks to her refusal to let you dump her." He looked to Sam. "Come on... let's go save our family."Sam nodded and touched each of his brothers, moving them through the darkness to the parking lot of the bar.

Even from the parking lot, they could hear the thumps, and the roars of rage from both demons in the bar. In the window flames appeared and disappeared quickly.

Ben was already bleeding, it took a lot to make him bleed, but he was not backing down. "I keep my promises." He said to Rachel.

Simon looked up when they had almost finished the circle. They wanted to wait to put the last mark in place until she was inside, Couldn't risk Ben getting tossed into it. He seriously had to reconsider a lot of things about this demon... and his visions. His dad had been right they were not always what they appeared to be. "Ben!" He called out hoping the man would get the hint and get her over toward them somehow.

"Get back." Ben rasped out to the boys. "It's about to get hot in here." Actually he hoped they'd go into the back room with everyone else. But he should have known Sam's kids wouldn't listen to a word he said, even if he was right.

"Ben!" Kevin yelled. Hoping to get him to see what was going on. There was no way they could leave the room if they were going to trap that thing riding around in their soon to be step mom. The open patch was at the back all it would take is for her to step inside and they could seal it. But he had to get her over there.

Ben grumbled as he took another hit and started blasting fire at her. The stench of burning hair was disgusting, he thought idly, but if she made it through this, all she would need was a new hair cut. Minimal, in the long term view of things. She was in a human body, she was subject to the same laws of physics as everyone else.

Rachel stumbled backwards. A demon might be able to handle the heat that Ben was dishing out, but the human body couldn't, and she kept stepping backwards lashing out as much as she could, but every strike she managed to get in, every step forward she could make was met with another attack. Kevin pushed Simon forcibly out of the way as the demons' battle steadily encroached upon their location. He himself hit the floor and waited until both of Rachel's feet had crossed the line and he finished the circle, and rolled away. "Got her!"

Ben slouched to the ground, breathing heavy as he looked at Rachel in the circle. And he winked at her. "Gotcha." He said, barely refraining from laughing. His family was safe right now. And right now, he'd take right now. He needed a breather from all that as he looked up at the door to see Dean, Sam and Jack coming in. He wiped blood from his face. "Sorry Sam."

"Not your fault." Sam said as he strode through the door and approached the demon in the circle. "Sammy knows whose fault it is. Don't you?" Rachel said with a slow, sardonic grin. "You never could hang on to them. Figured you'd learned your lesson, but I guess you haven't. ""Rachel... I love you... and I'm sorry... Ben this won't last long." He said, then spoke clearly, loudly a prayer he didn't even know that he knew, in a language that he understood out of instinct alone. The demon crouched to the floor as if to hide from the words, growling in rage and pain. "I've learned my lessons. There is nothing demonic in me. No part of your taint left to twist me. I know what I am. And now so do you."Jack called out Kaylie's name and rushed in search of her, leaving Sam to deal with Rachel, knowing that they wouldn't be doing the actual exorcism without him.

Rachel's body seemed to contort, trying to escape the words as if they were physical. Then she laughed. "Go ahead, Sammy. Kill your unborn child. And then deny you're a part of me."

Mary opened the door to the back room to let Jack through. Kaylie was doing her best to show it wasn't hurting (though it was) because Abby and Benji were there in the room with her as she clung to the hand of her oldest son.

"It's coming too fast." She said, seeing her husband.

"Let's get you to the hospital and we can relax for a while... she's contained... not going near anyone else. So why don't we get the kids out of here and over to Dean's house for now ,if Mary doesn't mind babysitting while we deliver this new cousin of hers."

Kaylie laughed, a nearly hysterical sound. "Jack, I'm trying not to push right now. I think after three deliveries I know what it feels like." She said as she looked at Caitlin, who looked under the sheet draped over Kaylie's legs.

"Dark hair." She said. Meaning the baby was already crowning.

"Hey." Jack said, deciding to let go of the tension as best he could, or at least hide it, and make the best of it. "Another chance of one looking like me." He teased. "Mark, go get a couple of pillows out of the other room would you?" He asked as he eased into position behind his wife. "Well, guess all that practice is going to pay off. Don't even need a hospital this time." He checked his wife's pulse casually, and glanced toCaitlin to see if there were any signs of trouble.

Caitlin shook her head. Everything looked fine, as far as she could tell.

"My baby is being born in the back of a strip club." Kaylie said, leaning against Jack. "No one is going to believe this."

"I heard that!" Ben said as he leaned against a wall and tried to stand while looking at Rachel. "I'll have you know this is the cleanest strip club in the state."

Sam knelt down on the floor. "You know I'm not going to send you to hell. Not this time. This time I am going to finish you. You can't have Rachel, you can't have my child. If that means God takes him to stay with my parents until we come to join them... then that's what it means. " He was crumbling inside with every word. His words sounded numb, even if his eyes showed both pain and determination.

"Because you failed to protect another woman you claim to love. You didn't even notice." Rachel taunted him. "You didn't even notice that I took over, before today. And you think you're going to see your parents? You're mistaken. Never both of them. Your father is in hell. That's right. He's in hell. Screaming in agony at every torment they can think of. Wonder where your brother is going to go when he slices himself open for me? Oh, oops. You didn't know that."

"What?" He said then looked at Dean. "No... you are not going to do any such thing." He told Dean firmly then turned back to the demon. "My father sacrificed himself. You don't have sway over that sort of love. He got nothing in return. It was selfless." He paused then took a deep breath and got to his feet. He couldn't deal with this right now. The demon was making it as personal as he could. Sam should have seen this coming. He shook his head and walked away trying to regroup his thoughts. Find something resembling a focus.

"Your father made a deal. Instead of Dean going to hell, John took his place. Worked out well for me. I've got the Colt. Oh, and what a special gun it is." Rachel said laughing. "Your family is slowly dying off, Sam. And how long until Jack figures it's just too much danger for his children? After all, his wife is delivering prematurely. Because of me."

"You're never leaving that circle." Sam said simply. "Won't matter what you have, Nothing else matters but that. " He looked at Dean who had remained silent all this time. Made no move either way. It was true then. He was going to commit a mortal sin. Separate himself from Sam for all eternity with no hope of finding each other in the afterlife. No hope of reward for all he had been through. Sam strode toward his brother. "Where is it?" He asked angrily and started reaching to search Dean's pockets.

Dean pushed Sam off. "Sam, knock it off." He said. "We got bigger things to deal with. You going to keep her in that circle forever?"

"Doesn't matter if he does. This is just a distraction." Rachel said. "I have someone else doing a far bigger job right now."

Sam felt as though he were breaking into a million pieces. His child was lost to him, the woman he loved might very well be... and his brother was going to throw his life away. He couldn't deal with this. Couldn't deal with any of it... but there was no one else that could. "I won't let you do it."Simon looked at his new father and wondered how long it would be before he was looking for a new family once more. Sam wasn't going to make it through this. He could tell. But there was nothing he could do and he knew that. He moved over to Ben's side and offered his hand to him, to help him up. "I'm sorry." He said, this time actually meaning it. "I should have asked more questions before I assumed. I was wrong."

"Yeah, well, I guess you learned your lesson. Start making it up to me by helping me over to the bar." Ben said, getting to his feet unsteadily.

"You don't have a choice." Rachel said, that grin on her face again. "It's happening right now. What are you going to do? Tear one brother away from his newborn, if it survives? Take your other one to his death? Because you if you think only you can stop it, you've definitely got the corner on arrogance."

Sam looked at his brother. "Take care of the boys... don't let her out till I get back." He didn't have the corner on arrogance, but there was more than one way to stop whatever was going on out there. Even if it hurt a little. "We can't take care of Rachel until all three of us can be together. " He started for the door. "I'm going with you." Kevin said as he grabbed his gear. His Dad didn't need to be alone right now. He was sure if he was, he wouldn't be coming back.

"Sam!" Dean said. "You're not going there alone. Even if you shadow out, I'm hopping in the car." He said. Fifty-fifty chance, and it wasn't New Orleans. "Jack, how's it going in there?"

"This one has dark hair. That's about all I can tell you so far." Jack called back out to them "That anxious to die today, Dean?" Sam asked him, meeting his eyes. "By the time you get to Wyoming from Texas it will be over and done. Stay put and make your funeral arrangements." He was angry. Dean had made that decision without telling him. Without so much as giving him a chance to say good bye. "Kevin you need to stay here and take care of Simon. I need you to do that for me."

Dean's face twisted a bit as Rachel laughed, and Dean dragged Sam outside. "You son of a bitch." Dean said. "You think this is fun? And why didn't I tell you? Because you'd pull something like this. You don't know everything, Exorcist. Let me tell you one thing you don't know. There's one way to keep it from this world." He said and slammed his forearm into a window, breaking it and cutting his arm. "This." He said, holding the blood smeared fingers up to Sam. "If it was you, what would you do? Would you not do it? After everything?"

"Damn it Dean... She is going to die... do you get that? No matter what we do I am going to lose her... She won't survive this. This isn't a normal exorcism. Now you want me to just say 'oh okay. Dean knows best' while I lose you too? Go inside and patch up that arm, you're gonna need every drop." He said, starting to walk away toward the shadows.

"Sam, don't go there alone." He said, tearing a piece off his shirt and wrapping his arm.

"I'll be back. I'm not the suicidal one." Sam told his brother as he stepped into the shadows, although it wasn't entirely true. Part of his was. Part of him almost hoped that he died out there and wouldn't have to be the one to send Rachel and Dean to their graves. But he knew God wasn't that kind. For that reason alone, he was certain he would be coming back.

"Sam!" Dean called after his brother and put a hand on the building, only to feel it shake. "Oh shit." He said and ran inside, where Rachel was breaking the trap. "Get in the back room now!" He shouted to Kevin and Simon.

Kevin ran to the bar and grabbed his younger brother by the arm and drug him toward the back room where Kaylie and the others were, He drew a fresh half circle of salt around the door, then another just outside that one. Practically filling the space between with brick dust.

Sam could feel the earth shaking where he stood, as he prepared to follow the shadows all the way to Wyoming, and stepped back out inside the bar. "Not gonna happen." He said firmly. "You are staying put."

"Am I?" She said as she stepped out of the trap fully. "Do you really want me to?" She said as blood curdling scream came from Kaylie in the other room. "You're willing to sacrifice Rachel and your child. Think your brother feels the same way?"

"No!" Sam yelled. "Leave her alone!" He wasn't willing to sacrifice Rachel or their child, but there was no way to stop it. She was lost the moment she was possessed. It was killing him inside but there was nothing he could do about it.

"Let me go and I let her go." Rachel taunted. "That's the only deal you're getting."

Dean looked between Rachel, correction who used to be Rachel, and the back room. The demon they had hunted their whole lives and finally had, and pretty much the future of their family.

"Get out!" Sam yelled and focused his will at the floor boards the boys had drawn the circle upon until the boards buckled enough to break the binding."Your word...let her go."

Rachel just smiled that smile and left the club, disappearing in the parking lot. Dean exhaled and went to the backroom to see if the demon kept the word it had not even given.

"Everything okay here?"

Jack looked up worriedly. He didn't know. There had been sudden pain the likes of which he had never seen Kaylie experience before. "I think so." He said, that was if it didn't happen again. "What's going on out there?"

"We let Rachel go." Dean said. He looked at Kaylie pointedly, then back at Jack. But Kaylie caught that look.

"She was going to kill me?" She said between contractions.

"It's not Rachel anymore." Dean said.

Sam stood at the door and looked at his sons. "Kevin... Simon... could you ahm... come talk to me please?" He asked. He didn't want to do this. If there was anything on this planet Sam Winchester did not want to do, it was tell his sons that the woman who was going to be their mother was no more.

Kevin walked over with a clenched jaw, Simon right at his side. He looked at Sam with knowing eyes. "Rachel's not coming back, is she?" He asked, pressing his lips together after to stop them from trembling.

Sam shook his head, his face showing all the pain he was feeling. "No son, she isn't." He said, his voice cracking. "I ... I'm sorry." He told them. "If I don't go after her... the demon... she won't... she will be nothing but a shell... even her soul will be destroyed. If I go after her... " He couldn't say it.

"If you go after her, we bury her." Kevin said, looking at the floor, an arm around Simon. "We get it. She's dead either way. This way, I don't know, she's at peace?"

"I hope so." Sam said wishing in that moment he had even a moment of his father's strength. How had he faced this every day? Sam had thought he had understood before when Jessica died. But now, now he knew better it was different when looking into the eyes of your children. "I ahm... I have to go... I want you two to go home, lock the doors, salt and brick dust everything. Don't open them for anyone until I come home. If I'm me... I won't need you to unlock anything."

Dean heard that and went over to Sam. "Hold up." He said. "You need to wait until that baby is born. Otherwise, if you corner it, it could take both Kaylie and the baby. We just saw that, didn't we?"

Sam nodded that he understood what Dean was saying then looked back to his boys. "Go home. Batten down the hatches. This could take several days But you should have everything you need at the house for now. "

Kevin nodded and grabbed their jackets and the keys to one of the cars. Then Simon surprised everyone in hearing distance.

He looked over at Ben, who was still cleaning himself up at the bar. "Is he going to be okay?" He asked Sam.

Sam looked over at Ben. "I don't know... I've never seen him hurt before... exhausted to the point of unconsciousness... but never to the point of bleeding before. We'll look after him before we go. I promise. "

Simon nodded and headed out the door with Kevin. Ben finished cleaning up as best he could and went to the back room and sat next to Jack. "They're waiting for the baby to be born." He said to Jack.

"About two more pushes." Caitlin said. "Can someone get me some clean towels, and a bucket?"

"On it." Mary said as she got up and hurried to retrieve what Caitlin needed.

Jack nodded to Ben and continued to stroke Kaylie's hair. "It's gonna be alright." He told her. "We're almost there and then we can get the two of you to the hospital." He promised his wife, kissing her brow.

Kaylie was barely paying attention, but that was normal at the very end of a delivery. Everything she was, she focused on bearing down until she finally exhaled.

Then everyone held their breath. One...two...ten...twenty one...twenty two...twenty three...twenty four seconds until the cry was heard.

Jack let out a long shuddering sigh, tears of relief falling.

"Do I need to take you to the hospital or... is a car gonna get there fast enough?" Sam asked, knowing the child was premature. If it was an emergency, they wouldn't waste time with traffic and automobiles.

Caitlin wiped the goo and gore of birth off the baby and wrapped it in another towel and handed the baby to Kaylie. "It's a girl." She said. Kaylie was crying as she took the baby.

"A girl." She said between sniffs and sobs. "Okay." She said, taking a deep breath. She looked at Jack, then at Dean, then Sam, then back to Jack. "Get us to the hospital, check us in, then go get this son of a bitch." Feeling that pain, like something was twisting inside of her, attacking not only her, but the baby too, wasenough to bring out the lioness in her, even now. She also knew, down deep, this wasn't Rachel. Not anymore.

Sam looked over at Ben. "Okay...all bundled up?" He asked as he rested his arm on Kaylie's. "She's beautiful." Sam said, staring at the small child. He looked at his younger brother and held out his hand, which Jack took.

"Thank you." Kaylie said. "She's so little." But she had all ten fingers, and all ten toes, and she was crying, so Kaylie considered them blessed, even in the face of everything else.

Dean went over to Mary and Tessa. "I want you two to go to Sam's, hole up with Kevin and Simon, got it?" He said.

"Yes sir." Mary said and pulled Tessa along after her. "Dad... be careful... please."

"We'll be back shortly." Sam said as he transported Jack and his wife and newest child over to the hospital. Two lives the demon couldn't take. Jack would have a chance at happiness . He could come through all of this whole. At least one of them would.

"I'll take Abby and Benji home with me." Ben said. Dean nodded.

"You gonna be all right?" He asked the demon.

Ben waved it off. "I'm fine." He said. Like he'd say anything else. Like they could help with it anyway.

Dean went over to Mary and Tessa. "Be careful driving, but get there as quick as you can." He said. "And...I love you. No matter what, got it?"

"I love you too." Mary said and she and Tessa came back to hug him tightly. Mary had heard what Rachel had said. "Dad... please... try to come back to us." She said softly, unsure if Tessa had heard or not.

Dean closed his eyes and let out a shuddering breath as he clung to his girls. Then he released them. "Get going. It's clear for now." He looked at Caitlin. "Thanks. Really."

"I'll stay with the kids." She told him as she moved in to pull him close. She hadn't thought to ever see him again. She kissed him gently before leaning in to whisper. "I love you by the way... so hang onto that out there. Believe it or not... it's a good thing to be loved."

He sighed and chuckled. "You choose now to tell me that? That's my M.O. You're worse than me." He said and kissed her again as Sam and Jack reappeared, both with a look of determination on their faces. He nodded at his brothers. "Time to go." He said with resignation. "I love you. Else I wouldn't have tried to break up with your machine." If things had been different, but no use lingering on that one. "Make sure Mary gets the car."

Caitlin nodded. "I will... I'll stay involved with the girls no matter what." She said. She had told him now because if she missed another opportunity it would haunt her for the rest of her life.

Jack went to get the refrigerated case and came back to join his brothers. "Let's do this. " He wanted to get back to his family, to hold his children and his wife...

Dean nodded. "How's the baby? Named her yet?" He asked as Caitlin left. Thinking, it would be nice to know his niece's name at least. Since, well...the knife was heavy in his coat, let's put it that way.

"Hope." Jack said. "We're still working on the middle name. Sort of depends on ... how things go."

"Hope... it's a good name." Sam said.

"It is." Dean nodded and took a deep breath. "Well, we all know our parts in this. Ready?" As much as he didn't want Sam to know. That would make it harder.

"Yep." Said Sam as he took his brothers' arms and stepped into the shadows. He wasn't ready for this. There was no way in heaven or hell he was ready to go and kill the woman he loved while his brother bled to death before his eyes.Then to have to go back and be strong for Dean's children, his own children... he didn't know if he was going to make it through this with anything resembling sanity left.

They stepped out in Wyoming, chilly in the middle of the night and Dean looked around. "Okay, we've got iron all around. She can't cross it. What did she say...Sammy give me the pictures of this place again?"

Sam pulled out the photos and Bobby's research. "She said she had the pistol and it was special... this place was set up by Samuel Colt according to Bobby, makes sense it's connected. I should have realized that."

Dean spread the photos on the ground and turned on his flashlight. "Shit." He said. "That crypt? It's got a lock on it. The key hole is the size of a gun barrel." He said, passing the pictures up. "What if Colt wasn't trying to keep something out? What if he was keeping something in?"

Sam nodded. "Then she is going to want to let whatever it is out. And she is going to have someone coming through here to open that gate for her. Come on." He said as he got to his feet once more, trying desperately to find his center once more.

Dean ran for the cemetery, toward the middle where that crypt was. And saw a dark haired girl not much older than Mary walking toward it. And he could see the gun, a familiar and unique gun, in her hand, making him run faster.

Sam and Jack ran after him, Jack pausing to deposit the med kit where it was out of harm's way.

Sam stepped forward toward the girl. "You don't have to do this... " he told her. "I know what you are... we're the same... "

"No we're not." She said with a smile. Eerily like the one Rachel had. "You think because we were created the same way we're the same? We're not. You abdicated. It's my turn now."

"Is that what he told you? That I abdicated? You don't abdicate what we are. Did he tell you what happens when you go completely dark? Did he tell you that you lose your body...that you become a lesser demon. Did he tell you that you would rule here when Demons took over? Please, he lied. He twists everything. You are just another tool to him. Nothing important. Just spare parts. A substitute. Don't destroy everything, don't destroy yourself for a creature that couldn't care less about you."

"No, he didn't say anything like that. Just that he gave you these amazing gifts and that you're wasting them." She sneered as she approached the tomb. "That's all I needed to know. That I would become more than what I am right now."

Sam moved between her and the tomb. "It's not more... it's less. Don't you understand? He has nothing to do with these gifts. You have them whether you follow him or not. You don't have to use them for evil... you don't have to damn yourself. "

She laughed at that. "Damnmyself?" She said with a grin. "He said you'd say this. Because you want to stop me. You'd say anything to sway me. I'm not listening." She feinted to the left, then ran around to the right, shoving Sam out of her way as she jammed the barrel of the Colt into the opening and stood there as the mechanism began to spin and swirl, mesmerized as she watched the doors start to open. Slowly at first, then they flew open with a force not even close to human.

The swirling blackness inside, like a barely contained tornado was the last thing Rosie saw as she was bowled over by the darkness within as it poured out. It was like getting hit by a semi truck. Luckily, she didn't know what hit her as Dean watched in horror, running to one of the doors to try and push it closed.

Jack ran to help Dean. "Go get set up for the rite." He told Sam who moved to join them "We'll take care of this. " He yelled over the din. Sam watched for a split second longer then rushed to prepare the summoning ritual, and the circle to bind her for the exorcism. He glanced up at his brothers occasionally to make sure neither of them were in need of help.

"You know," Dean said as he strained against the door, pushing all his weight against it and digging his heels in, "closing a hell gate worked out so much better for me last time."

"It doesn't have to turn out badly this time." Jack said as he shoved against the opposite door. "I've got your back."

"Yeah, well, Chavi was cuter." He said as the door finally started to move for him. Then again, he noticed the flow coming out was slowing, and he swore about that. "That should be enough to negate the iron I think."

"And here you thought this war was over." Jack said as he managed to get his door closed, pinning it in place until Dean was able to do the same. "We're gonna have company soon." He added.

Dean pinned the door and saw the Colt. Once the door was secure, he went to pick it up just as Rachel appeared before Sam.

"You really think you're going to get me in your little magic circle?" She said with a laugh.

Sam looked up at her, his eyes sad, with that broken haunted look he had seen in his father's eyes for so many years. "Doesn't much matter if I do or not." He said quietly, as he rose and put on the stole, and wound the rosary around his hand.

She looked back at him defiantly. "You're that desperate to win, to avenge your mommy and pretty little Jessica, that you'll kill Rachel?" She said, shaking her head as she moved away. "I already won. And I'll take the rest of your family with me." She said, looking over her shoulder at Dean, who had picked up the Colt.

He checked the gun, figures.

"You think I was stupid enough to leave the bullet in it?" She said with a raised eyebrow, as Dean and Jack went flying in different directions. Oh, she'd leave Sam alive. But the other two? No way.

Sam lashed out at her then, reaching out with the powers within him and flung her far from his brothers. "Rachel's already gone. We both know that. She's another name on the list." Anger was a no no in this circumstance, he knew that. He knew how demons worked, better than most. He had been taught by the best, both as a hunter and as an exorcist. Never the less he couldn't stop it as it rushed over him in waves.

"That's it!" She said, nearly with glee. "Get angry. I'm going to destroy everything you hold dear. How else could you feel?" She stepped right over Rosie, a fallen foot soldier and nothing more, toward Dean, who, like Jack, had the wind seriously knocked out of him. "I've let him live too long..."

Sam called out the demon's true name, prepared to bat her away from his brothers again, and began the prayer once more. Knowing that it would have to draw her attention at least somewhat, slow her process.Jack moaned softly, and wiped the blood from his eyes. He started to sit up, but paused staring at the ethereal form before him. "Mom?" He breathed. She smiled faintly and caressed his cheek. "I love you." She told him softly. "I always have." She said and stood upright, taking strides back toward the gates, and walking through the closed doors and fading away into darkness. "Mom!" He called out once more.

The demon hovered over Dean and spasmed at the calling of its true name, and spasmed more as it was wrapped from behind by something...someone...tearing the demon out of its host and dragging it back to the circle.

John Winchester, wrestling with an inky, smoky, writhing form that had threatened his oldest son.

Dean instinctively checked on Rachel, she was cold before she even hit the ground, who knew how long the body had been dead, propelled only by demonic force? And saw his father.

"Dad...?"

Sam lurched forward, starting for Rachel, but stopped knowing by the expression on his brothers face that Rachel was gone. He turned for the circle, knowing that there was no time to grieve, even as the pain seemed to engulf his entire being. He looked at the swirling mass in the circle, raising his eyes slowly to the man standing on the other side. "Dad." He breathed. "It's alright, Son." John said. "You know what to do."Sam nodded, out of age old reflex and took out the book, not waiting for his brothers. He began the ritual.

Dean had to shake himself off as he heard the words Sam was saying. He closed Rachel's unseeing eyes and went to help Jack up. "Come on." He said, with a great deal of resignation. "Tighten up that circle."

Jack got to his feet looking back toward the closed portal that his mother had gone through, then turned to see what looked to be his father standing at the circle with Sam, intoning a voice so very much like his own in response to Sam's words. "Are you sure we're not already dead?" Jack asked his brother as he gathered the power around him and focused it on the circle itself.

"God I hope not. Wyoming is worse than hell." Dean cracked. He couldn't take his eyes off his father, and a wound he thought had long healed opened right back up. That was a doorway straight to hell. His father had come through that door way. Therefore, John had been in hell all this time. Deep down, he had known it, he just denied it. John had spent the last twenty years in hell because of him.

Strangely made this sacrifice easier to do.

Sam focused on the ritual. To do anything else would be to risk all their lives, their very souls. It would make the sacrifices that had been made and were yet to be made for nothing and he could imagine no greater failure... no greater betrayal of the woman he loved, than to fail once more to destroy her killer. Jack, however, watched his oldest brother like a hawk, Especially after watching his mother willingly walk back into hell, after Rachel's death, he wasn't going to lose anyone else. His daughter's birth would not be blackened by this.

Dean stood by the circle and looked at his watch. "After midnight, Jack." He said. "It's no longer the day of Hope's birth." He said as he turned his attention back to the circle. He couldn't believe it, still. John Winchester was in that circle. He could tell. It wasn't a vision. No vision, even his during the highest fevers he'd ever had, could quite capture John's unique way of saying 'son of a bitch' as he restrained the demon that had hung over their entire lives.

The demon spasmed, contorting at the words being flung at it. Trying to evade John's grasp. It was sure if it could, it could get out of this circle. It was a fallen angel! These were mortal men! It would NOT be defeated by human scum! It couldn't!

Sam continued to throw everything at it. Finding his stride once more, the words of the prayers and rituals finding the core of him, pulling him back to the moment, to the job at hand. His tone grew less frantic, less angry, replaced with a peace that only comes from one place. His words grew in power and resonance the calmer he became. The demon was going to die or he was, and that was fine with him.

Dean listened. He knew the exact place to do his part, he'd been studying this for a decade after all. Then it came. He looked at Jack and grinned as he pulled out his knife.

"Gotta say, you are the best illegitimate baby brother a guy could have." He said as he shrugged off his jacket, tossing it aside as he rolled up his sleeve and sliced a gaping cut in his forearm and watched as the blood began to drip.

Until it wasn't dripping anymore. It was more like it was being pulled from his body into the circle, wrapping around the writhing demon."It's alright boy... I'm here." Said the familiar ursine voice in Dean's head. "We'll fightthis together, you and I."

John was thrown from the circle then, realizing in that moment very clearly that he had a mortal body again, as he struggled for breath. Tears fell from Sam's eyes, streaming down his cheeks but still he kept on canting the ritual. Jack however moved and moved quickly. He was back at Dean's side with the refrigerated chest, working to prepare the IV's so that he was ready the moment Dean was no longer able to fight him off.

Dean nodded at the voice in his head, as he started to feel dizzy, and nauseous. Unable to stand he fell, the blood still pouring into the circle until the demon disappeared in a bloody haze that was impossibly light at the same time. Then the blood just pooled underneath Dean.

John got to his feet and rushed over to his son. His sons. Three sons. At the moment, three living, breathing sons, even if one seemed determined to fight him on that.

"Tell me there's a hospital around here." He said, his voice a bit raspy. From emotion, fear, and just not using a mortal voice in a long time.

"Nope. I'm the only chance he's got till this is done." Jack said. "I need you to tourniquet that arm." He said tossing his father the latex band. "Tight. Gotta get this in him before I can start stitching that up. " He just hoped he could get it in to his brother's veins with the extreme blood loss.

John did as instructed and tied the tourniquet tight around Dean's arm, then put pressure on the gaping hole. And realized Sam hadn't said anything. At all. "Sam?" He said, then louder, to snap Sam out of it, even temporarily. He saw Sam staring at the fallen body of a woman, and surmised, from the look on his son's face, what had happened. It was a look he had seen too often in the mirror not to recognize.Sam sank to the ground, looking back to his father and brothers, then back to Rachel as he pulled her into his arms. He had seen the amount of blood sucked from his brother's body and had done nothing to stop it. There was no way that his brother could still be alive after that, and Sam couldn't face it.

"Sam!" John said. "Your brother is still alive. Don't give up yet." He said as he turned his attention back to his oldest son. The bleeding was slowing, but he wasn't sure if that was such a good sign. It could just be slowing because there was not much left. His son had always been fairer than him, or even Sam, taking after Mary that way. But he looked as pale as a ghost right now, even his lips were pale. He took all this in. He had just crawled out of hell...to lose his oldest son at the same time? That wasn't right.

Then at his youngest son, the one he hadn't believed had ever really existed. But he was here in the flesh, no longer a six year old boy wiping at sleepy eyes, but a grown man hunched over Dean's collapsing veins in concentration, jaw set. "Jack..." He said, and realized he didn't know what to say. Not here, not now, under these circumstances. "How's he doing?" He said. It was the best he could come up with.

Jack had gone straight for the jugular with the IV, not bothering with the opposite arm at all. He had been fortunate to be able to sink it there without too much trouble. "If this gets into him fast enough, we should be okay. Get him stable, and Sam can shadow walk us home to the hospital and he will be alright..." If it got into him fast enough... if he didn't go without blood to vital locations too long... so many ifs he didn't want or have time to think about "Sammy, get your fluffy headed ass over here, man." Sam slowly eased the woman he loved to the ground and rose to make his way over to the others. He was numb. Could barely feel his legs as they moved forward. His body seemed to shut down all feeling as though it could stop the pain that radiated out from his heart.

John squeezed Dean's arm harder as he watched the bagged blood start to flow. Nodding at Jack's update and put a free hand on Sam's shoulder. He knew how it was, he really did. This demon had stolen too much from their lives.

Dean was tired. Normally here, he wasn't so tired. But he just sat in the hotel room, on the floor, back against the bed, and he felt like he couldn't even keep his eyes open.

"So is this how it is?" He asked. "You really do just go to sleep?" Death. He'd always wondered about it, just hoped to never find out.

"Sometimes... but our fight isn't done yet. And there are so many people fighting it with you, Boy. " Said the bear as she sat before him on the floor.

"Don't...don't do that." Dean said. "I made my peace." As best he could. Sure, there were wrinkles now. Some pleasant, like Caitlin. Others horrific, like Rachel. And why was his father there? "Don't do that."

"The battle is won. But there are others loose now, others that must be fought and generations to train to fight them. Stand up Boy... You have to go back. I will lead you but you must go back."

Dean sighed in frustration as he stood up. "It's never over, is it?" He said. He couldn't even have a resigned, peaceful death. There had been no pain, once he was done cutting. Everything had just faded away.

"To die this way, is not an end... the process is peaceful, but the crossing is not. You have peace awaiting you... but not today, Boy. I won't abandon you. Climb on my back. "

John was holding Dean's wrist as Jack put in a few sutures to hold the wound together as the blood poured into the IV in the neck. His pulse was there, growing stronger. Not anywhere near healthy, but he was able to feel it, and John nearly smiled as he took Sam's hand to feel it. Sam had just assumed Dean was dead, John couldn't blame him, not with all that blood and a decidedly lack of color in Dean's skin.

Sam let out a shuddering breath. "When... when will he be stable enough to move?" He asked his younger brother. He knew that they would have to remove the IV before moving him to avoid getting Jack in a world of legal hurt, and that meant theyhad to wait for enough to get into Dean to survive until they got another one in at the hospital.

John looked up as Jack took down the second bag. It had been hours of absolute silence, no one daring to speak, or able to speak. "I think we can move him now." He said and looked back over at the woman's body. "Do we want to take care of her first?"

Sam nearly broke then. "I- I'll come back to ... to salt and burn the body." He said. "Take care of the living first." He said as he knelt to scoop his brother into his arms. "Hold on tight." He told John. Jack knew how this worked, he wasn't so sure about their father. "And when we get there... since we are all about the same age... you aren't his father. " He said and waited for the other men to grab on before taking two steps into the shadows and coming out in the darkness surrounding the emergency room entrance.

John nodded his understanding. He had to understand, even as he wanted to scream from the rooftops these were his sons. HIS sons. He was proud, they'd taken on a fallen and come out the other side. Who else had sons that could say that?

But he followed them into the Emergency room, where a male doc came over.

"Always keeping me inbusiness, huh?" He said as he guided over a stretcher for Dean to lay on. "What happened this time?" He said, taking his stethoscope from around his neck and listening to Dean's heart.

"Accident in the garage. He was out cold when we got there so ... really couldn't tell you." Sam said quickly with practiced ease. He stood at the side of the stretcher, Moving out of the doctor's way as needed but always close enough to touch it easily.

The doctor nodded as he examined Dean. "Okay, let's get a couple of O neg units here." He called to a nurse, his tone clear that it wasn't going to wait for her to finish what she was doing. "Saw the latest one, she's a beauty Jack." He commented as he inserted an IV into Dean's neck. Luckily on the other side of the one Jack had removed.

Jack beamed a little in spite of himself. "How's she doing up there?" He asked, knowing he would get something resembling a straight answer. He knew he should run up to be with Kaylie, but he was going to wait until Dean was in a room and stable before going anywhere.

"Holding her own. She's breathing on her own, they're just a little concerned if she'll be able to eat on her own right now." The doctor said as he hung the blood up and had the nurse take another set of vital signs and hook Dean up to a heart monitor, where his slow heart beat filled the trauma room.

Jack nodded. For being premature, that was doing really well. For being his little girl, that wasn't the best news in the world to receive. He ran a hand through his hair and started to pace, waiting for word on his brother. There wasn't anything he could do for either of them now but wait.

John stood there and watched the doctor work on Dean, his hand on Sam's shoulder. Then he watched Jack pace back and forth, back and forth. 'The latest one,' a girl...another grandchild he had. Grand children. His boys all grown up...about the same age bracket he had been (within fifteen years) of when he had died. He couldn't help but wonder if this was all a trick, somehow a trick to finally break him. Especially when Dean was intubated, to 'guard against systemic failure' the doctor said.

"We're going to move your brother to his room now, He needs to be someplace quiet and calm. I know that it's pointless to try and keep you two away from him when he is in here, but I also know how ... assertive... your family can be with each other. So... keep it down, or I will find a big enough security guard somewhere. Understood?" Both Sam and Jack nodded, and followed as Dean was taken to his room and settled in. "Go ahead and... take care of things." Jack said once the medical personnel had cleared out. "I'll keep an eye on him till you get back."

John pulled up a chair by Dean's bed and looked at his son. His incredibly brave, selfless, stupid son. "Both of you go." He said softly. "I'll watch him. Sam, go take...care of things. Jack, I think the doctor mentioned you have someone else here too?"

Sam looked at his father, and lay a hand on his shoulder. "Forgive me for this ... but I have to be sure." Even after the battle, he had to be sure. "Christo." He said.John nodded and smiled a little. "See you didn't forget everything I taught you... now go on." He said, and couldn't help but shudder a little seeing Sam disappear into the shadows. Jack looked at the man sitting beside his brother. "If he wakes up, I'm gonna be in NICU. have someone page me there." He said and turned to go out the door, anxious to see his wife.

John nodded as he sat by Dean, the sound of the heart monitor filling the room, the ventilator whirling.

Kaylie was in a hospital gown, another one worn backwards, the tread socks on her feet as she sat by the incubator, one finger in her daughter's tiny palm. She'd left twice, once to talk to her other children, and once to badger Ben, then Bobby, for news they didn't have. Now she was back in the NICU, just sitting there with her daughter.

Jack had changed out of his clothes, which were saturated in Dean's blood, into scrubs. He walked in and strode to her side. "How you holding up?" He asked softly as he stroked her hair.

Kaylie jumped a bit when she heard his voice, and exhaled a shaky breath as she turned and threw her arms around him. She was afraid she'd lost him, she really was. "Oh god.." She breathed. "Better now." She said as she checked him over for injuries, finding only a gash that was already scabbing over in his hair. "You're all right." She said. "Dean...? Rachel?"

"Dean is in a hospital bed all his own right now. Unconscious, being given blood... Rachel... she didn't make it honey, I'm sorry." He said with a ragged sigh. He didn't even know how to explain his father.

Kaylie nodded and silent tears slipped down her cheeks. "I pretty much knew that." She said softly. Because Rachel would never behave that way, or do those things. "How's Sam?"

"Not good. Physically, I think he is pretty much unharmed. Emotionally... the man is pretty broken right now. The ahm... well... Rachel was good at rubbing things in, you know. I don't know that I would be any better in his shoes. "

"I nearly feel horrible, but I'm glad you're in your own shoes, and your shoes are here." She said. Her family just didn't work without him. And right now, with all her emotions up and down, and the soreness after childbirth, worry over both him, his brothers and her new baby, all she could think about was that he was right here.

"I'm not going anywhere." Jack said as he held her close. "They said she was doing well... just gotta see if she can eat on her own. Pretty good for being a preemie."

She nodded. "Should we call everyone else?" She said. She had heard what Rachel said as well. Dean wasn't expected to return alive. Worse, she knew Mary heard that. But Dean was alive, just in no condition to call anyone. And Sam...well...he probably wasn't either.

Jack nodded. "Yeah, probably should. I will have to go somewhere to make the call though." He told her and kissed her hair once more . "I won't be long."

"Okay." She said with a smile. "Definitely hurry back though, if you can, after the doctor comes through we can take her out of the incubator for a bit."

"I won't be long at all." He told her, wanting very much to hold his daughter. He found the nearest safe zone for his cell phone. He was relieved that Caitlin had gone with the kids to Sam's. It was much easier to explain to her all that had happened, and leave her to explain it to the four children there. He then hung up and called Ben.

Ben answered. "Hey, how'd it go?" He said, going outside. Jack's other three kids were upstairs sleeping. Well, Mark might be awake playing video games, but he said he was 'going to bed' at any rate.

"About like expected, except my plan worked. Dean is in the hospital out cold with an IV... " He said. "Rachel was gone before the demon left her body... Sam isn't taking it too well... oh and... My parents were there. Mom went back to hell, and Dad is still here sitting in Dean's room and I am confused as hell."

"What?" Ben said. "Okay, let me call Tammy." Tammy was a woman who had been stripping when Jack was a child. Up until she didn't have the body or the agility for it anymore. Unfortunately she didn't know how to do anything else, so now she managed the dancers, and played 'housemother' and kept them out of Ben's hair. She was also Jack's most reliable babysitter when he was a child. "I'll be right there."

"Okay. I'll be in NICU with Kaylie." Jack told him. "We might get to hold Hope so I want to be there when that happens." He knew that Dean would be alright, right now he had to think about his daughter and wife.

Once Caitlin told Mary, she breathed for the first time since this all started it seemed. Then she grabbed her keys and left. She snuck past the visiting hour enforcing rent a cops and straight for the ICU where she found her father's room.

"Who are you?" She asked John suspiciously. He looked familiar, but she knew she didn't know him.

"I'm John." He said, not sure who it was he was speaking too. "Who are you?" He asked in return with a faint smile, even though it didn't take away the worry evident in his dark eyes.

Mary looked at John, then back at her father and ignored John for a moment as she rushed over to him. "Daddy..." She said in a half sob. Alive was good, she liked alive. But he was so pale, and the tube down his throat, and the IV in his neck...

His grand daughter... this was something John hadn't been prepared to deal with just yet. In fact John wasn't quite prepared to deal with much of anything. There hadn't been much time to prepare himself for anything. "He ahm... he's gonna be alright." John said with certainty. "Just needs time... and to replenish what he's lost but he's gonna up and out of that bed before the doctors are even half though. You'll see."

"Yeah, well, most of the time that's not the smartest thing." She said as she carefully adjusted his pillows and blankets. "And he ends up hurting himself worse." She said as she held his hand. "He's cold." She said as she got up to find another blanket in the closet.

"Part of that is cause he is running a little low still." He said, looking at the girl as she took care of her father. "You take good care of him, don't you?" John said. "Dean was always good at that... I imagine he still is."

"Yeah he is. Which is why he needs someone else to take care of him because he forgets about himself. Intentionally." Mary said as she found one and tucked it around him. "Who are you? Yeah, I know, John. How do you know my father? Am I going to have to exorcize your ass now?" Strange men hanging around her unconscious hurt father did not inspire confidence in her.

"No... no exorcism. Wouldn't do any good. Not possessed. Not evil either. But the truth is I don't know that you would believe me if I told you who I am. Not entire sure this isn't all an hallucination myself."

Mary looked at him, uncertain. She was only sixteen after all. And took the phone in her father's room and called up to the NICU to talk to Jack.

It took a few moments but Jack's voice came over the line. "Yeah, honey what is it?" He asked having been told it was his niece.

"Uncle Jack, I'm with Dad. And there'sa man here, he was here when I got here." She said, not taking her eyes off John. "What do I do?"

"Is he tall, dark... sounds a lot like me? If so, do nothing. It's a long story and I don't know if this is the best way to handle it, but... Mary, that's your grandfather."

Mary dropped the phone as she stared at John. And it clattered a bit while she picked it up. "Give the baby a kiss for me, Uncle Jack." She said as she hung up and stared at John. "You're dead. You died before I was born, before he even met my mother."

John nodded. "I was given a chance to come back... to help them defeat the demon. Don't know how long I have now that it's done." And that much was true. He didn't. He was supposed to come back to help them. He didn't know when the powers that be would consider that job done.

Mary nodded, wondering what else she was expected to just take in today. Her father was on a breathing machine, getting blood, and not awake. Her aunt Rachel was dead, having been possessed by a demon. Her uncle Sam wasn't here, she didn't know where he was, or how he was. Her uncle Jack and aunt Kaylie were in the NICU with her preemie cousin. And she'd seen an entirely different side of Ben, though she knew it was to protect her and the others, it still scared her. Now her grandfather was back from the dead for something.

As much as she played the adult and tried to take care of everything, she was just sixteen. And recovering from a horrific experience herself (nothing like getting hit bya car intentionally to ruin your year). Overwhelmed didn't even begin to cut it. So she did something she hadn't done since she was nine years old.

Careful of all the wires, and tubes, and his stitched arm, Mary crawled onto the bed and held onto her father. "Daddy...come back." She said "I can't do this. I promised Tessa you were coming back," because she didn't know what else to say, "and I'm just a kid. I can't do this, I don't know what to do. If...if you don't come back, I'm going to date lots of inappropriate boys. And not go to college. And wear pink and found a Britney Spears fan club. I'm going to paint the Impala pink. Because I don't know how to do this."

John almost cried in that moment. Not merely from the heartrending scene before him. But the thought that he had left his son at that very age behind to handle so very many grown up things when he had been far too young... even at that age, much less when younger. He got to his feet and moved closer to his son and granddaughter, resting a hand on her narrow shoulder. "He's going to be alright." He said gently.

Mary nodded, her dad had to be all right. She wasn't giving him a choice on this. And then, when the doctor cleared him, she was going to kick his ass for this.

Kaylie had finally been persuaded to get some sleep shortly before Ben came to the NICU and sat in her abandoned chair next to Jack, who was holding Hope.

"I think this one might actually be a mix of you two, instead of duplicates of you, her or other people." Ben said as he looked at the baby.

"I think you're right." Jack said as he looked at his daughter. "Almost lost her... could have lost both of them..." He said quietly as he traced the lines of his child's delicate face.

"I know." Ben said. He'd been there, he'd heard the scream, and Rachel's triumphant laughter as she backed everyone into a corner. "How are you doing? With everything?" At least Kaylie and Hope were all right.

"Dean is alive... which made the ordeal a success." He said. He would have counted it a failure beyond all reason if he had lost Dean to his own self sacrifice. He knew neither of his brothers were going to die a natural death. It went with the job description. Bobby was a rare and formidable man to have lived as long as he had. Jack figured he could still find a way to take down a demon if he had to. But that was because Bobby had a will to survive that he didn't think either of his brothers possessed. "Seeing my parents again... not sure how to deal with that."

"So your mom went to hell to drag John out.Huh." Ben said, shaking his head. Women. "Well, you can put off dealing with John as long as you want."

"Not worried about dealing with him. Not sure how to deal with him but not worried about it. Just... wondering why she went back and he stayed behind."

"I don't know." Ben said. "She talked about dreams, and me finding her a way into hell when I spoke to her. If I had known she was going to pull this...I probably wouldn't have. I'll figure out a way to get her out."

"Don't make promises that you might not be able to keep, Ben. I love my mom... but I need you more. You are my family now." He told the man. "I don't think we would have won the battle if John wasn't there. He was able to pull the demon out of Rachel's body and hold it in the circle for us."

"Might be what your mom saw then." Ben said. "Her time where she was, gave her some perspective. She wanted to ensure you'd be safe." At least John was useful.

"Do you think it's possible that she could earn her way out then? Everything she did... it wasn't with any evil intent."

"I'm not even sure they can hold her. She's not dead after all. She's something else entirely. And she wasn't banished by exorcism or anything trite like that." Ben said. "I'll look into it. So the little one gets to escape the middle name of Deanna, huh?"

"Yeah she does. We're still debating at the moment. Caitlin is an option cause she was the one that delivered her, Rachel is an option but right now there is a lot of emotion tied up in that name."

"Sorry, no suggestions from me." Ben said with a small laugh. "Abby's already got my two favorite female names." Abigail Elizabeth being his late wife's name.

"I think we are going to wait until the emotions calm down a bit before picking a middle name or three." Jack said. "Things are really... really ... emotional right now. Sam is out dealing with Rachel's body... so I don't know how he is going to be when he gets back. He thought Dean was dead for a while out there and I was afraid he was going to do himself in. Catholic or not."

Ben nodded. He could easily see Sam doing that. This was the guy, after all, that was willing to sacrifice his soul to keep his brother from being hurt. Those two were...weird...to say the least. "No rush on the middle name. I don't have one." He said with a shrug. "The calming of emotions might take a while though. At the very least nothing will be settled until Dean wakes up."

"I know." He said softly as he rocked his daughter. "You want to hold her?" He asked with a faint smile. This was his child's grandfather. No matter what the appearances, or the genetics. Ben was Hope's grandfather and he should be the first of the family to get to hold her.

"You know I do." Ben said as he took Hope from Jack. He'd grown more comfortable with babies and their fragile little bodies, so young they couldn't even support their own heads. Mary had scared the shit out of him until she could hold her head up on her own. He'd been broken in by Jack's kids. "Well, hello there." He said to the baby.

Hope twitched a little in her sleep but otherwise was content to lay in the man's arms, snuggled in to his heat. "She's definitely beautiful. I don't know... I see more of Kaylie in her features. Maybe a bit of Mom..."

Ben raised an eyebrow. "Jack, she's a few hours old. I realize you're biased, but she doesn't look like anyone. She won't for a week or so." He said with a chuckle. "Dark hair from your side, and that's all you can say for sure."

"Well I can either see Mom in her, or point out all the ways she could possibly look like Sam... " He said. It was human nature to wonder who the child looked like. "Or my father."

"Hey, whether it came from your mother or John, she's still got dark hair, and it didn't come from Kaylie's side." Ben said with a chuckle. "I don't think she looks a thing like Sam. She's much prettier. Sam wouldn't translate well to a girl. Dean, maybe. Sam? No way."

"And you wonder why I would rather see Mom in her features." He said with a laugh, but the laugh faded. "When the gates opened up, demons flooded out... it was like a black tidal wave... killed the kid that opened the gate... but they are everywhere now... what does that mean for us...for her?"

"Means I've got some work to do." Ben said with a sigh. He'd blown that whole neutrality thing when he sheltered all the different descendants of Winchester, even if he did it for Jack. And while he wouldn't go all out war on them, they'd be coming to his doorstep. And that would be a mistake. Minor or even mid level demons he could handle with a glare.

"I'm going to have to break my promise to Kaylie ... aren't I?" He said softly. "The fallen aren't going to give me a choice." He hated that thought. Hated the thought of fallen angels coming after his family even more.

"Absolutely not." Ben said emphatically. "I've got you covered." John might want his sons on the front line with him, fighting side by side all mano a mano, but Ben was willing to step up to the front lines so Jack didn't have to. "You raise your kids, see if you can fool birth control again, be a soccer dad, whatever."

"How can I ask you to do that?" Jack shook his head. "It's what I want, but what sort of example would I be setting for my boys? It's okay ...Ben will take care it. We don't have to?"

"Okay, I'll put it another way. You want to be around to set an example for your kids? Fallen angels can't kill me. They can kill you." Ben said bluntly.

"We'll take it as it comes for now. "Jack said with a sigh. "If it's possible for us to rely upon you alone... that's okay... but if it starts to endanger the others, or we wind up with attacks coming on a regular basis, then I have to rethink it."

"All right." Ben said. He'd half won that argument. And right now, in the NICU, that was enough. He'd push later, cut deals if possible...demons were worse than lawyers. Tons of loopholes to find and close up. "So what are you going to do about John?" He understood the scars that came with John Winchester. Didn't change the fact that right now, he was alive and apparently well. And with Dean in the hospital, it didn't appear he was going anywhere either.

"I don't know. Get to know him, I guess. Maybe ignore that he is here. I don't know. I really just don't know. I wouldn't know where to begin. I mean... I don't have a niche for him to fill. Not really. Let's face it... It's like I was adopted and he is just my biological father. Someone worth meeting... maybe having coffee with but bonding... I don't know about that."

"It'll be an interesting time, I know that much." Ben said. "But if nothing else...I guess it's just something you have to do. Don't look at me though, I'm not much of a conciliator or a peace maker."

"Yeah that's Dean." Jack said with a sad smile. "Who may not be very happy at being alive, much less ready to deal with John being alive."

"I think he'll be thrilled at being alive. The last part...might confuse the hell out of him." Ben said. But he'd be thrilled with that too, Ben was sure. From an early age, Dean had always been John's good little soldier.

"I hope so... you didn't see the look in his eyes when he did it. My god, he almost looked at peace. It scared the fucking hell out of me. And after watching hell rise up around us... that took a lot."

"Well, he spent the last ten years coming to terms with it. More likely five trying to find a way out or around it, and five coming to terms with it. He had more time to adjust." Ben said with a careful shrug.

"Yeah... if he had told me about it 10 years ago... " Jack sighed, "then he would have just found a way to make me connect the IV beforehand to throw even more at the demon... I swear the man needs serious counseling."

"No he doesn't." Ben said. "He needs intensive deprogramming then reprogramming. I'll have Mark look on line for programs." He joked about the last part. "See if we can get him into the next session. Might qualify for a family group rate."

..Sam didn't know how long he had stayed there, how long he had held Rachel's lifeless form before he was able to move again. Even then each breath was like fire in his lungs, hitching and forcing its way out again. He wrapped her gently, as he and Dean had bound their fathers corpse. It was as though each twist and turn of the cloth was a knot tied around his heart, squeezing it tighter and tighter until Sam thought it would explode from the pain. He wished it would explode. He lay her upon the pyre and lit it, sinking to the ground as the flames rose higher, taking her even further from him. Hours had passed, he could feel the dawn cresting the horizon. Another day. Another start at life. it didn't sooth him as it always had in the past. He didn't welcome its crisp clean light. Nothing more than a time piece now, telling him it was time to leave, time to walk away.It had been easier to leave his brother all those years ago. Leaving Dean had meant life... had meant that Dean would be safe. This was nothing but death. One last notch in the demons belt.He rose slowly to his feet and walked across the ground, eventually feeling the crunch of frost under his feet. He kept walking, taking his time, one shadow at a time until he entered his brothers room. Mary wrapped around her father, as though holding him to life with her bare hands, and his father seated next to the bed. One night mare always led to the next it seemed. He knew he needed to call his boys, needed to see them more than anything else but all he could do was sink into the chair in the corner of the room and stare at the floor.


	9. Chapter 9

"Brought coffee." Ben said as he came into Dean's room. It was actually a pretty spacious room. But when you added the bed, the equipment, and a bunch of grown men, it started to feel cramped.

So Ben handed out the coffee, leaning over chairs and bedside tables, take out containers, jackets, and bodies. He'd done well so far. Hadn't managed to get into it with John. Sam was still eerily silent though, and would just stare at Dean lying unconscious (still) on the bed.

Two days. Hope was in the clear, once she gained a little weight she could go home. That at least was good news. The rest of it sucked though.

"Thanks." John said. He hadn't left the hospital since arriving. Bobby had offered him space on the sofa in his apartment at Dean's place but John had refused. He didn't know how long he was going to be allowed to remain and he needed to be with his sons.Sam nodded his thanks to Ben, but didn't quite make eye contact with the man. He knew on one level that Ben had no choice but to fight Rachel, or the rest of the people they both loved would have paid the price, but it didn't make it any easier to look at him. Or himself in the mirror for that matter. All of this was rested upon Sam's shoulders. The baby and Rachel being lost, Dean trying to kill himself to stop the demon, Hope being born too early. It was all Sam's fault as far as he was concerned, and that weight was almost too much to bear.

"So all the kids are all right." Ben said. He'd checked on them. He was still surprised that Simon of all people didn't put it together, that if one wanted to be technical, Ben was the one that killed Rachel, damaged her body beyond repair, so that she couldn't survive if she wasn't driven by demonic force. Because of the force he'd used against her. Not that he regretted it. He'd lived long enough to know that sometimes...sometimes there was collateral damage. Didn't make it easy to take or face, but it alleviated him of any self guilt. "Mary and Tessa are with the boys. Kaylie's driving all over the place," since she insisted on a return to normalcy for the kids as much as possible, "but she'll stop by later. Probably with Mary." Not that anyone was really listening to him as he sat down next to Jack, who was splitting his time between here and the NICU.

Jack nodded, registering what was being said on some level. He was asking himself if he had taken too long. Had he let too much blood leave his brother's body, should hehave forced him to the ground sooner and started the IV? Or was it that Dean really didn't want to continue living? He had seen that over the years. Patients willing themselves to die, when they should otherwise recover. What if it was something metaphysical in nature? What if all that was Dean was sucked out when the ritual took hold? Not just his blood. "You can't let yourself over think it." John said, recognizing the look on his youngest son's face. "Things are how they are.. how or why they got here is behind us now."

Ben glared at John. "We wouldn't want to examine the causes too closely." Ben said, seemingly agreeing. "That could lead to a very nasty argument." He said flatly.

John raised an eyebrow at that. "What good does it do?" He asked. "Everyone did everything they could do to the best of their ability to bring him here ... to keep him alive. You can't ask more of anyone than that."

"Oh, I'm not. Jack did an awesome job getting Dean here. I just think it sucks that it had to come to this in the first place. You see, this," Ben said, gesturing to Dean, "is what happens when people mess with forces beyond their control or their comprehension."

"A judgemental Demon. Why doesn't that surprise?" John said, rolling his eyes. "I did what I had to do to protect them both. Being only human after all. "

"An arrogant and ignorant human. Why doesn't that suprise me?" Ben shot back. "And look at just how well protected Dean is. Well, I guess now he is. What with the hospital supplying his blood, and keeping him on a machine to keep him breathing. That counts as protection I guess."

"I gave him a guardian, someone to help him heal and take care of Sam. I don't expect you to understand. But I did what needed to be done. Dean made the choice to sacrifice himself. Not me. I'm glad he didn't succeed, but his choice isn't my doing."

"He was, what? Eight? Ten? You didn't think that was a little young to be charging him with the raising of Sam and the saving of the world? Even I know better than that." Ben snapped. "This poor kid," he said, pointing at Dean, "thinks his only reason for existance is to keep Sam safe, even if he has to kill himself. And Sam? You left that poor kid in the dark and left it to Dean to handle. And you knew for years before you took your own plunge. This is all your doing. Thank whoever you believe in that you didn't drag Jack into your mess."

"What? You think I should have told a 5 year old boy that he was a nephilim, back when all I could see was half demon? That demons were hunting him because of it and that was why we had to stay on the run. Yeah... that would have been a kindness. Sam was practically suicidal as it was as a teenager. As for Dean, yeah he was too young. But there wasn't any other choice than to lay down and let the evil over take them. Sometimes a father has to make choices he doesn't want to make. Sometimes it's the lesser of two evils... and sometimes it's a nightmare in order to keep them alive just a little while longer."

"You damaged both these kids. And you want to hide behind 'the hard choices a father has to make' excuse? That doesn't cut it." Ben said. "Every single choice you've made for your children, as far as I can see, is all about benefiting John. Can't protect Sam? Oh, that's all right. I'll just make Dean do it. Can't tell Sam the truth? Sure, I'll just have Dean do it. Might have to kill Sam? Well, I'll go die so that it's Dean's problem instead of mine. You sure didn't have a problem with half demons when you need them, or want them to take the youngest kid off your hands."

"Hey... I didn't ask you to take Jack to raise, that was your promise to Maggie. I wasn't even sure he wasn't one of her spells. In fact you were the one that made it more than clear you wanted me to have absolutely nothing to do with him." John pointed out, as he rose from his chair. "I didn't make a deal with Azazel so that I could avoid responsibility. I did it to save my son's life."

"And for that, thanks." Ben said. "Jack loved getting to know his brothers. They're great kids, when they're not trying to off themselves at any rate." He looked at Sam, who was still staring at the floor. And Jack hadn't stopped him yet, so he continued. "Sam? He's blaming himself right now. For everything. Because he spent years thinking he was something dark. Dean? No sense of self worth. In fact, he thinks he's pretty damn insignificant. Now, one kid being messed up, that happens. Both of them? It's environmental. Andyou were their environment."

"What the hell do you want from me?" John roared. "I spent 20 years in hell for my sons. Sorry if that isn't enough for you." He took three steps forward until he was nose to nose with the slightly taller man. "Never mind it isn't any of your damned business. You think you're a good father? You had it easy. No diapers, no potty training, no living on the fucking run because some demon is on your ass. Hell, you didn't even have to get laid to have a child to raise. Thank you for raising my son by the way. "

Ben wasn't backing down. Not from John of all people as his eyes flared. "Your son? He's MY son. All you did was knock up his mother. Hardly an award winning achievement. Not my business? Who do you think helps take care of Dean when he does something so utterly suicidal like this? Who let himself get beat all to hell to give Sam back his soul, then to protect everyone else? And you want to throw hell in my face? Get real. Dying for them was the only thing you've done right by them their whole lives! And the next time you refer to Jack as your son, I will lay you out." He wasn't having his privledge as a father revoked by John Winchester of all people.

Jack looked up at John. "Ben is my Dad." He said. "You might be my father but BEN is my Dad. " There was a difference in Jack's world between the two. "And if you want to get to know me and have any sort of relationship, you need to accept that now. It doesn't matter if it was your fault or not, or if you didn't believe or were told no. That's just the facts. I can forgive the past, but BEN is my Dad."Sam laughed then, it wasn't a friendly sound. It almost wasn't a human sound.

Ben stepped away from Jack and looked at Sam. "Well, well. Decided to join the conversation?" He asked.

"This isn't a conversation." Sam said. "It's a witch hunt. " He told Ben. "Get over being insecure. My Dad isn't going anywhere and neither is Jack." His tone was harsh. He was so full of pain that he couldn't contain it any longer. He was bursting at the seams with anger and self loathing, there was no room for the pain and all he wanted in that moment was to share a little of it.

"Witch hunt? Because I don't fawn over all that is John Winchester I'm insecure?" Ben said, turning fully toward Sam. "You're way off base, kid."

"No, because you feel the need to point out every failing in your eyes right over my brother's bed, I'm not off base at all. If anyone knows insecure when they see it, it's me. I grew up with Dean, remember. You wanna pull the wool over someone's eyes, go find some innocent little lamb. Not the man whose world you turned upside down."

Ben looked at Sam for a moment. "Yeah, guess I did." Ben said. "You expect me to apologize now too? And I'm not insecure, I'm just not polite. There is a difference, I've sat back and watched the mess you two have made because of him, and I'm expected not to say anything?"

"Mess we've made? The only mess we've made is to screw up your precious neutrality. And hell yes, you are expected not to say anything. This is a hospital room, damn it. Not a forum for attacking John Winchester. You may not respect my dad but I would have thought you cared more about Dean than that.. .or am I over estimating that too?"

"Now you listen to me, you little shit." Ben said. "I've had it up to here with everything! Because you know what? A thank you would be nice every once in a blue moon. Thanks for helping me get my soul back, Ben. Thanks for taking care of my brother for me. Both of them, by the way. Or, hey, thanks for not letting my fiancee kill my kids, my sister in law, my nieces and nephews."

"I have thanked you for everything but the last. Damned if you are willing to hear it though. You are too busy feeling put upon for doing what you either chose to do or agreed to do on your ownto hear it. But if you expect me to thank you for taking Rachel and our unborn child away from me, you can go rot in hell."

"What did you expect me to do, Sam? Let her at the kids? Or the pregnant woman she sent into labor anyway?" Ben shot back. "You're absolutely right. I should have just left and gone home, popped in a movie and waited for you guys to call me in the morning."

"That isn't what I said!" Sam yelled. "I CANT thank you for that. I didn't say you shouldn't have done it." Those words nearly broke him there. "Don't you think I know whose fault it is, you son of bitch? But don't you dare... don't you dare ask me to thank you.""Sam... let it go." John said quietly, he wasn't sure Sam realized how far he was pushing the demon, although he had no doubt the son of a bitch knew how far he was pushing Sam. Jack rose, half expecting it to come to blows any moment.

"Stay out of it!" Ben said, but keeping his attention on Sam. "Who's at fault then, Sam? You? You really think you're all knowing enough to know each and everything that demon was going to do, just because you knew its real name? Come on, Sam, tell me how you could have stopped it." Ben said, his tone not concillitory, it was purely confrontational and challenging.

"I should have known it wasn't her." He said raggedly. "My god, she was having my child, I've known her for years, I should have known she was possessed. I gave her the pendant to prevent it from happening... there must have been something wrong with it. I screwed up! I endangered everyone we asked you to protect."

"You've known your father your whole life! You didn't know he was possessed! You need to stop being an idiot right now!" Ben said. "Because you've got two kids who are depending on you." Again, purely confrontational. Verbally pushing and battering at Sam, even as his voice covered an alarm that quickly was silenced. "Get over yourself! Not everything is your fault! You can't prevent everything. Your name is Sam, not God."

"It's all been my fault since I was 6 months old. No I didn't do it or choose it butall of this is because that son of a bitch wanted to get at me. It's my fault that she was in there, my fault that she was in there where she could endanger the others... where she could die. I told her she would be safe. "

"That's right. I forgot. The world and its entire destiny revolves around Sam." Ben scoffed. "Get over yourself. You have about as much power as a fruit fly in the whole scheme of things."

"Shut up." Dean rasped out, the tube that was helping him to breathe now lying on the bed next to him. He'd gotten lucky, when he swatted at the machine making noise, he hit the right button. Now if he could just shut the people up too...

"You didn't kill her, Sam." Ben said. "The only one that can make that claim is me, and you know it."

Sam shook his head, tears streaming down his face now. "Yes I know. You killed her!""Leave him alone." John said in a dark tone. "Can't you see what you are doing to him?"

"Shut up!" Ben snapped at John again. "Yes, I did Sam." He said, getting up in Sam's face. "I'm the one that broke her body, you released her soul. I'm the bad guy here."

Sam couldn't take anymore, not one word more, and he lashed out with all that he had in him, landing a blow against Ben's jaw.

Ben staggered a bit, Sam wasn't completely human after all. And nearly fell on his ass. Not from the blow, but when he back pedaled he tripped over something. Some one.

"Oh shit." Ben said.

There on the floor was Dean. Extubated. IV out and dripping on the floor. And most amazingly, out of bed.

"Ow..." Dean groaned softly.

"Dean!" The three remaining Winchesters said in unison, but John was the one that moved fastest and scooped his eldest son up off of the floor to deposit him in his bed. " I see some things haven't changed." He said in a gentle tone.

"Are we all dead?" Dean mumbled. His father was here after all, even if he did put Dean back in that damn hospital bed. Figured, his hell would be a hospital.

"No." John said, as he pushed the button for the nurse to come in, Dean needed his IV back in at the very least. "Not dead. I'm really here. "Sam took two steps closer to his brother's bed, and sighed, thanking God and anyone else that might be listening, silently, that his brother was back with them.

"Okay." Dean said. He was still a little fuzzy, and still a pint or two low. "Then is everyone done yelling? You all woke me up..."

"Bitch, whine, complain and mope." Ben said with a chuckle as he watched Sam approach Dean's bed. It was progress at least.

"Dude, you've been sleeping for two days." Sam managed to get out, along with a sad smile. "Your daughter has threatened to paint the Impala many questionable colors and you slept through it... I'd be careful when I went home if I were you."

Dean chuckled, and coughed a bit. His throat felt like it was on fire. He saw Sam, and a shift of the eyes and he located Jack. And his father was still there. "So we're not dead. Someone get me a beer then."

"That's a no go and you know it." Jack said. "Still low on blood, and since it's your own damned fault, no sympathy, man. You're gonna have to wait."

Dean shook his head. "No love." He said.

"You'll get over it." John said as he picked up the phone and waited for Mary to answer. "Hold on." He said, handing the phone to Dean.

"Hello?" Dean said, still woozy enough that his mind was having trouble connecting all the dots.

"Daddy?" Came Mary's excited voice. "I'm on my way. Don't you dare go back to sleep on me."

"I won't." He said, as his daughter hung up in his ear to run to the car. He looked at everyone else in the room. "Okay, so we've got five minutes to make me look presentable." He said, holding a corner of the blanket to his old IV site and waving off the nurse that came in. "Sorry, had your chance when I was sleeping."

The nurse gave him a look. "Don't make me go wake Caitlin up." She said, the other nurse was catching a nap in the break room. "You still need the IV in.""Give up on presentable, Mary crawled into the bed with you when you were intubated." John said. "Don't think she is worried about presentable."

Dean gave the nurse a long suffering look. "Caitlin can discuss it with me in eight hours." He said. That was a good sleep time, right? "Anything before that and I'll yank it out. Promise." He couldn't quite figure out why he was alive, that wasn't part of it all. But he'd wait until the nurse was out to even find out if it was all really over.

"You always were a difficult patient." She said. "I'll let the doctor know you're awake." She said as she gathered the things Dean had already removed and took his vital signs, before leaving.

Dean waited until he was sure she was gone. "Did it work?" He asked. "Is the son of a bitch really dead? Or am I going to have to do this again?"

"It worked." John said, settling back down into his seat at Dean's bedside. "The demon is dead. He can't come back, ever."

Dean closed his eyes and exhaled at that. Finally. He'd only waited over forty years for that moment. Figured he'd be unconscious for it too. He looked at Sam. "I'm sorry about Rachel." And truly meant it.

Sam wiped at his eyes. "Me too." He said. "Thank God Jack is a sneaky bastard. " He said with a faint smile. "Or I would have lost you too."

Dean chuckled a bit and slugged his brother in the arm. Sure, it wasn't close to hard, he wasn't in top form, and he was still tired (he might have been sleeping, but his body was working pretty hard the whole time). "I'm not that easy to kill. I can't even kill myself!"

"No...you cankill yourself." Jack said. "But your family refuses to let you die. You do realize that about half of your survival rate is that we don't want to let you go just yet... right?"

"Yeah, it's starting to dawn on me." Dean said. "When can I get out of here?"

"When we can put back in the rest of what you've lost. You keep food down, walk a little with out fainting, and they are sure that bathroom issues are in order." Jack said. "Probably another couple of days."

"Screw that." Dean said with a scowl. He had expected to die, had planned on it actually. Now he wasn't. And he wasn't going to spend that time in the hospital now. AMA was always an option after all.

'Dean... I mean it... you need to stay put until you are topped off. You don't want to find yourself back in here." Jack said. John frowned. "He's right. You need to get well before you leave this time. There isn't any rush."

"Sure. You guys aren't the ones being poked." Dean said. He'd deal with that later, when he was sure he could stay awake long enough to sneak out. Hard to make a good exit if you fall asleep in the elevator. Besides, he had to stay awake for his daughter right now.

"And you aren't the one that has to pick you up off the ground and bring you back in." John pointed out. "If you can't make it across the room, you can't make it out of the hospital. ""Nice to know hell didn't change you any." Sam said with a chuckle. "Someone has to be able to boss Dean around a little." He didn't feel the laughter, but he did feel relief. A great deal of relief, his brother was going to make it.

"I could have made it out of the room if Ben didn't knock me over." Dean said.

"Oh no." Ben said. "You're not pinning this one on me. I tripped over you because you were already settling down for a nap." He pointed out, not about to let Dean skew the perception.

Mary Winchester entered the room then. "You are not going anywhere." She said, not even needing to have heard the conversation. She knew that look on her father's face. "After what you put Tessa and me through you deserve to spend a week in that bed." She told him as she went over to sit on the edge of the bed and pull him into a tight hug. "Don't do that to us again, okay... we need you."

He hugged his daughter back as tight as he could. He had, after all, basically said good bye to her the last time he'd seen her. Now? It was a different story.

"I don't know." Ben said to Sam. "Mary seems to have a handle on bossing Dean around when he needs it."

Dean looked over Mary's shoulder and saw John. Oh boy. "Umm...Mary...okay, this is going to sound unbelievable." He said, about to explain John, even though he didn't understand it himself.

"I know about Grampa. He hasn't left your side for more than a couple minutes at a time since you have been here. It's okay. I explained it to the others. Well... to Tessa and Simon and Kevin anyway. "Sam sighed. He suddenly felt like the world's worst father. "Speaking of which I need to go see the boys. You better be here when I get back." He told his brother.

"After breaking up with her machine, if I'm not some place Caitlin can easily find, she'll kill me." Dean said with a chuckle. "I'll be here."

"You broke up with a woman's answering machine?" John said, shaking his head. "Son, that isn't what I meant when I said be fearless." He told Dean and looked at Sam, laying a hand on his younger son's shoulder. "Get some rest when you get home. We can keep your brother in line here."

"I'll be fine, Sam." Dean said. His voice would come back eventually. And his arm didn't hurt (he must have 'slept' through that part of it luckily.). All in all, he was in pretty good shape. Except for that whole not being able to walk without passing out bit, but that was actually advantageous to everyone BUT him!

"I'm going to hit the road too." Ben said. He was still cleaning up the club, he and Rachel had made quite a mess of things. Besides, at least Jack, Dean and Sam were adults. He knew better than to pull Mary into his animosity toward John.

"I'll walk you out." Jack said, needing a breather after the intensity that had gone on in that room just bare minutes before.

Ben nodded as they walked out. "What can I say? I'm just not a tactful person." He said as he waited for the elevator with Jack. Though what had really sent him over (at least with John) was being told pretty much he wasn'ta parent.

"Don't let him get to you... I know who my dad is, okay. He isn't going to change that... even if I decide that I like the guy... it doesn't change anything."

"Jack, it's not that I don't want you to get to know him, or even like him. Just me and him have barely been civil on the whole two times we've had to work together before." Ben said. "It doesn't have much to do with you, not really I guess. He's just a hardcore hunter, and I'm never friendly to those types." Even if he would bend his rule on demons to use them when he needed them to.

"I know." Jack said. "And I know it's hard, but... who knows... the man has just spent 20 years in hell. Pretty sure the past has been paid for... let's see what he does now. I don't know that I will ever be able to trust him but ... Dean worships the ground the man walks on."

"Oh, just a little." Ben said with a chuckle. "Have you told your kids yet? Especially Mark?" Who could hear it from Mary or Kevin at any point.

"I've told them... but I've been putting off the meeting. Not up to dealing with the drama yet. I figure I can wait till the first family dinner after Dean and Sam are recovered."

"Sam might not recover." Ben said. "And I know he'll never recover fully. Dean...now he's well on his way. He's 'fine' after all, right? Besides, he's dating a nurse. I can't believe I used the words 'date' and 'Dean' in the same sentence."

"She's good for him. Gotta like a woman that can see through him." Jack said. "As for Sam... he has kids. He doesn't have the luxury of not recovering."

"Yes he does." Ben said. "He just doesn't have the luxury of not being able to fake it. Trust me, I know. Circumstances may be completely different, but the loss is the same at the end of the day."

"Is it really? You were with Abby for a very long time. " Jack had known Kaylie for as long as he could remember anyone in his life, other than Ben. Losing her would be like giving up half of his own soul, he didn't quite realize that it had been that way almost from the beginning.

Ben smiled a bit. "Not long enough." He said. "From the very first moment I met her, it was like I found that other half of myself I didn't even know was missing. Had I lost her a week later, it still would have been the same for me."

"I suppose." Jack said. "It just worries me how much he has lost sight of the boys. I hope he can pull it together enough to still be a father to them. They are used to a lot more of ... well.. Sam ... when dealing with Sam If that makes sense. They don't need to lose both parents."

"He's getting there. Slowly. It will take a while. But, Dean waking up and being Dean took a big load off his mind I'm sure." Ben said.

"I'm sure it did." Jack said. "I know it took a lot off of mine." He sighed. "But now it's time to go home and sort out my own family. The kids are still a little freaked out if I am gone for too long."

"I don't blame them." Ben said. "I'll wander up to NICU. I love the confused looks on the nurses faces when she'd rather be held by me than be under the heat lamp." Most preemies craved the heat lamp over being held.

"Yeah... you're like a portable heater I swear." Jack said with a laugh. "Don't let on, they'll have you in here for all the hypothermia cases."

"Absolutely not." Ben said with a chuckle. "Tell everyone I said hi."

ITNOTFSam entered the house. "Hey guys, I'm home." He called out as he hung up his coat. He had to pull himself together. There was no choice. His kids needed him, his brother and now he supposed his fatherneeded him too. There was no time to deal with the grief, no time to let it run its course.

"Hey Dad." Kevin said. "We made pizza." So careful around Sam, as if he were made of glass. He made sure everything was done before Sam came home from the hospital. "How's Uncle Dean?" He'd heard Dean was awake, that was it.

"Sounds great... thank you, Son." Sam said as he rested a hand on Kevin's shoulder, squeezing lightly. "Dean is ... well he is back to being Dean. Tried to get out of bed and out the door before we noticed. Fell on his face but Dad put him back in bed. " He told his boys. "So he is on his way to recovery. So I was thinking about asking your grandfather if he would like to spend a little while with us." He didn't imagine that John would suddenly settle down and become a mechanic again. It wasn't in John Winchester to give up thehunt. "What do you guys think?"

"I think that's a great idea." Kevin said with a grin as Simon nodded.

"Ooh yeah. Then we can pump him for stories of our perfect father being a not so perfect child to then hold against you!" Simon said with a grin.

"Shh...he'll change his mind!"

Sam laughed. "You can get those stories from Dean. So where is this pizza you guys made?"

"In the kitchen." Kevin said as they all headed in there. He took the pizza out of the oven as Simon got the soda. "So, Dean...that's really good news. And the baby is fine too." So that was two out of three.

"Yeah... other than ... other than Rachel everyone is going to be okay." Including him. He had to be. There was no choice. He had to be okay.

"It's all right not to be okay." Kevin said softly. "I'll probably worry more if you are.""I know... don't worry, I'm anything but okay." He said softly to his oldest boy. "But your brother doesn't need to know that. I can make it. I'm dealing."

"I'm not okay." Simon said. "Kevin's not okay. And you're not okay. But we need to not be okay together."

Sam pulled both of his sons in close and just held onto them as though they were a lifeline. He supposed they were in a way. "You're right. You both are. "

"We know." Kevin said. "You can be not okay. But you can't crawl into yourself. Because where does that leave us?"

"Then I am going to need you guys to help me. I... sometimes I lose track of where I am ... I'm sorry I brought you guys to a point where you had to go through this loss again."

"We made it through last time." Kevin said. "We'll make it through this time. But we can't lose you too."

"I'm not going anywhere." Sam said. "I promise." He knew what it was like to have a father that wasn't really there. The biggest part of John had died with their mother. It wasn't his father's fault, he and Dean were too young to pull him back until it was too late. "You aren't going to lose me."

The boys nodded. They'd do their best, and Sam would do his part. Somehow they'd make it through. "Okay, pizza?" Kevin said.

"Pizza sounds great. Let's eat then go see your uncle and meet your grandfather." Sam suggested.

"What's he like?" Simon asked. "I mean, twenty years in hell..."

"So far, he seems like...well...Dad. I don't know how hell has affected him, although he and Ben seem to be at odds because of Jack at the moment. Although I suspect that's as much because of the fact that Ben is a demon as it is that he raised Jack."

Simon nodded. He was still confused himself on the subject of Ben. "Bet Ben isn't helping matters either. He doesn't know when to shut up." That much at least was fact.

Sam chuckled. "Neither does my father." He said. "Dad is... well... combine Dean and I... and toss in the fact that he is more stubborn than Bobby."

"Sounds like we should sell ringside tickets to the John and Ben show then." Kevin said with a laugh as he dished out the pizza. "I bet we could make some good money off it."

Sam laughed. "Nice." He said as he pulled up a bar stool. "I'm sure they would love to help you with your business schemes." He teased.

"Nah, we wouldn't tell them. Then we'd have to cut them in on the action." Kevin said with a grin. "And that would completely lessen our profit margin."

"I'm going to have to show you an old movie... never mind... that might give you ideas." Sam said with a laugh. He had seen most of the old movies as they had come on television when he was a kid.

"Could be worse. We could try to break it up." Simon pointed out. He knew Ben. And if John was half of what Sam said, then it was best to either let them hash it out or let the adults break it up.

"There is that." He said. "Fortunately, Ben is the grandpa type person for Jack's kids... and he won't want to upset them so ... I think it will settle down into a quiet conflict... cold war type thing."

"But what about parties and stuff?" Simon said. "I mean, if your dad is our grandfather type, and Ben is the grandfather type for Jack's kids, are we going to be okay all together? After I shot him, there was a lot of talk about that after all." He'd admit to being able to tolerate the demon now.

"I don't know. I suppose a lot of it will depend on if they can come to an understanding or not... or for that matter if Dad is even staying in on place very long. He may decide to go back out on the road, hunting. When we were growing up, the Impala was our home, we just happened to sleep in motel rooms. He spent 23 years on the road before he died... he might want to goback to it."

"Why didn't you or Uncle Dean go back to it?" Kevin asked. "You guys spent just as long on the road."

"Because we wanted more for our children than life on the road. And I changed how I went about things, with the calling from the church and all."

"So do you think he's going to stick around?" Simon asked. "Even if Ben'sa jerk to him?"

"I don't know... I know he will stay until Dean is better. Beyond that, I don't know. My dad doesn't back down so it won't be Ben's fault if he decides to leave."

Simon nodded. He understood that. And having John there would be good for Sam too, he knew. "Okay, so after we finish we can go to the hospital?"

"Yeah, we can go." Sam said.as he got a round of sodas from the fridge. "I figure by the time we get there, Caitlin should have had a turn at Dean. " He added with a faint smile.

"I don't know, shouldn't we save him? You know, so he can be indentured to us or something?" Kevin asked, wincing at the thought of his defenseless uncle having had a run at him by his girlfriend.

"I don't know... he did break up with her answering machine." Sam said with a grin. "Women are strangely over protective of their answering machine's feelings. "

"Okay." Simon said with a grin. "Then we'll let him suffer for a while. Besides, if you're up to it..." He said uncertainly, "I havea science project I could use help with. Have to build a stupid solar system model."

Sam smiled. "I can help with that. Do we need to go and get supplies?" He foundthis amusing that they still had to make those solar system models. His father had apparently had to make one as well, as Sam remembered from when he had had to do it. Not because John had helped him, but because Dean had promised him it would be the best one there because John had shown him how to make his 4 years previous.

"Yeah. Foam balls, wire, I don't know. Paint?" Simon said, unenthusiastic.

"Well let's go... see what we can find and the craft store...maybe Home Depot. When is it due?" Sam asked, half fearing the word tomorrow would come out of his son's mouth.

"In two days." Simon said. "I was going to just tell them I didn't get around to it." And he probably would have gotten away with it. What with his dad's fiancee dying tragically in a car accident, and his uncle being involved in an accident in his shop and all. He was just hoping he wouldn't have to play that card to pass.

"We'll get the supplies tonight and work on it tomorrow when you get home from school." Sam suggested. "Wget the supplies on the way to the hospital."

"Okay." Simon said.

"We'll get it done. It'll be great." Kevin said. "Hey, maybe we can get a motorized track and make it go around the sun."

"Maybe. We'll have to see what we can find. There are a lot of ways to make it work. We'll sort it out when we see what we have to work with." Sam said as he reached for his keys. "Come on... let's go."ITNOTFCaitlin entered Dean's room and paused at the door just staring at him. She had gone over what she was going to say to him if he had come back alive a hundred times, but now it left her mind.

Dean was flipping through the channels and caught her out of the corner of his eye. "You ever watch this 'Must See TV'? It's horrible." He said as he flipped.

She stepped closer to the bed, still not speaking. He was awake... alive... as though this had just been another mishap while hunting. As though he hadn't tried to kill himself in the process.

"Oh well." He said, turning the TV off and tossing the remote on the overbed table. His voice was still raspy and hoarse, an adverse effect from extubating himself. Experts never recommended that after all. He looked at her as she came into the room. "You didn't decide after all this that you are in fact mad at me for breaking up with your machine, did you?"

She smiled a little in spite of herself. "I was always mad at you for breaking up with my machine. But I'm willing to over look it." She said as she stepped closer to the bed still. "But if you ever, and I mean ever, do anything like this again with out so much as a second thought to coming through it alive, I will kill you myself before you get the chance." Caitlin said, nearly choking as she said it.

Dean quirkeda grin. "That's the most backwards thing anyone's ever said to me. Kill me so I can't do it." He said with a chuckle. "I promise. No more killing myself for a while. But if I come down with Alzheimer's or impotence, all bets are off."

"I can live with that." She said as she sat down beside him on the bed. "I still love you, you know. I think it's a sign of insanity personally, but... I love you."

"That's okay. I like insane. Besides, you're cute when you're insane." He said with a chuckle. "I love you too. But you gotta realize something, and it's not anything anyone can change. Believe me, they've tried. A lot. But the people I care about, I will do anything to keep them safe."

"I know." She said as she took his hand in hers. "And I understand that. But you need to understand that sometimes, things aren't as black and white as they seem. If nothing else, this whole thing should prove that to you."

"This whole thing is all confused." Dean said. "The demon is gone. Forever. At least as far as we can tell. But a whole lot more escaped, which is bad. But my father...God I can't believe I'm saying this, my father is back. Alive. And, like, eight years older than me. And while that's great, right now, black and white is looking pretty damn good."

"Okay... black and white. Your family loves you. Your family would do anything to keep you alive. I love you. Your daughters are beautiful, your dog stinks no matter how much you bathe her, and you are one of the worst patients we have ever had on this floor. How's that for black and white for you?"

He grinned. "Really? Only 'one of the worst patients'? I'll have to try harder." He said. "So while you're holding my hand, you better not be checking out for veins."

"That is something we need to talk about, but I already know where your good veins are from the last time you were in here. Right now, I don't want to talk as your nurse... we can go all professional later."

"So guess I shouldn't ask for a sponge bath, huh?" He teased her. "That's well within the realm of your professional duties you know."

She laughed softly, then sobered. "You scared the hell out of me, Dean." Caitlin told him. "It was as though you wanted to die. Truly wanted to die."

"Big difference between wanting to die and being willing to die." He said quietly. "Trust me, big, big difference. It wasn't that I wanted to. Just when I realized that it might be what it would take, I chose to concentrate on peace instead of everything else I could have. Trust me, I didn't want to."

"I... really want to believe that. But you know... you really gotta work on your delivery. Kinda leaves the rest of us... aching. Especially the girls. They over heard Rachel ... "

"Yeah, Mary told me." Dean said. "Tessa didn't believe it, luckily. Buying the company line that demons lie and all. Which is good." In this one case, it was good. "Had a friend tell me my time here isn't up yet."

"Someone you are willing to listen to, I hope." She said. She wanted a good deal more time with Dean. "I mean, people are starting to say I'm not giving you enough attention... since you keep showing up where I work and all."

"Believe me, not intentional. Take that one up with Jack and Sam, they're the ones that keep dragging me here." He pointed out with a chuckle. "Convince them to just give me an icepack, a beer, and some quiet and I'll be fine."

"Not this time... " she said with a sigh. "Dean... your body still doesn't have enough blood to function properly. If they hadn't brought you in when they did, every thing Jack did to save you... would have been useless. So... we have two choices... you can stay here in this bed flat on your back until your body takes care of it on its own... which could take as long as a week, or you can let me put the IV back in , and we are looking at 24 to 48 hours."

"Or you could just give me a six pack. Alcohol is a blood thinner, right? I make the blood I have thinner, it can get spread around a bit more. Plus, I get to drink beer instead of those really disgusting protein shakes they brought me. Seriously, have you tried them? They taste like laundry detergent. And just about as grainy too." Dean said. Hey, it made sense in his head.

"Not an option. Doesn't work that way." She told him. "So which is it going to be? Although gotta tell ya, the girls want you home sooner and other people could sure use this bed, so how about we do it the easy way for a change?"

"So you are checking out my veins." Dean said, shaking his head. "How about a deal. One more unit and I get to leave."

"Dean, I'm serious. We can give you one more unit and see how you are doing... then we will talk about another unit or sending you home. You go home too low and you will pass out and scare the hell out of the girls. "

"Caitlin, I'm serious." Dean said. "I don't like hospitals. Usually I have to be on my deathbed to get me here. It's the cruelest karma anyone could think of that the woman I love works in a frigging hospital! I walked out when I had heart failure. Give me a few hours, I can walk out of here."

"No one likes hospitals." She told him. "I love my job but believe me, if I were in a hospital bed I wouldn't like it either. But that doesn't mean you don't need to be here. You are getting too old to do this to yourself. You were what... 20 something when you had yourheart failure... you aren't a kid anymore, Dean. You have to start treating your body accordingly or you won't live to be a grandfather."

"I know I won't live to be a grandfather." Dean said, then the teasing glint came back into his eyes. "Because neither of my girls will let a man touch them until they're at least sixty. Which makes me in my nineties at least. Look, I put the offer on the table to appease everyone. One unit, gives them four hours or so."

"And what if you still aren't strong enough to leave? Dean... you have to take care of yourself. I get that you want to be the sacrificial lamb and save everyone else but this isn't one of those situations. "

"And you of course know that I can rest flat on my back at home in my own bed with my own food, right?" He pointed out with an arched eyebrow.

"If I had any faith that you would do just that, I wouldn't worry so much. But you are not the sort to lay flat on your back for any length of time with out being under a car or a woman."

He had to smirk at that. She brought it up. "I don't know, are you volunteering?"

"You couldn't keep up with me after a double shift and half asleep right now." She countered. "That requires blood too, you know."

"You're a nitpicker." He said with a roll of his eyes. "Okay, two. My final offer. Guess this means I have to let you put another IV in me. Honestly, I didn't mean to pull the last one out." He said. And he didn't. Everyone was yelling, and he thought he could break it up. Well, he supposed he did in a way.

"Yeah, John told me what happened." Caitlin said. Otherwise she would have come in verbal guns blazing. "So I take it John is your father... I can see the resemblance. He ahm...seems kinda normal for a guy just escaped out of hell." She said as she took things out of her pockets to start the IV.

He watched her take the supplies out of her pocket. "That is so wrong." He said, shaking his head. "I've been set up. Yeah, he seems normal enough, but he's been busy too, I guess. With the whole one son unconscious, the other not talking, the other not talking to him..."

"Sounds like Sunday dinners are going to be a real treat for a while." She said, ignoring the comment about having been set up. She had brought the supplies along because she hadn't wanted to give him time to change his mind on the off chance she had actually succeeded in getting him to agree.

"You completely set me up." He said. "And Sunday dinner? I don't know. I think Ben and Dad were getting into it hard, and Jack," he sighed, "has more...I don't know...loyalty?...to Ben than Dad..."

"My being prepared does not constitute setting you up. " She pointed out. "You could have said no." Of course that was said as she began to tape things into place. "Jack is... well... adopted for lack of a better way to put it. Tell me Kevin wouldnt feel more loyalty to Sam than a father come back from the dead after all this time."

"Sure, and the next time I fell asleep you'd sneak in and stick me." Dean said as he watched her tape the IV down. "I think I'm going to hide from Sunday dinners. Seriously, when was the last time you saw Ben back down from anything? Or Jack? Or Sam? Dad...he's just as bad."

"So are you." Caitlin said with a soft laugh. "Tell you what, I will be there to protect you. Tell them you need your rest and drag you back into the house or off to your room to escape when they get too out of hand there."

"They're going to think I hooked up with a sex addict." He said with a grin. "Not that that's a bad thing."

She laughed. "There are indeed much worse things in life. Okay... I am going to go and get a machine and a unit of blood and we will get this show on the road."

"I've been manipulated." He said with a shake of his head. "Fine, get the blood, then I'm going to make you babysit me."

"Yeah well apparently I am better at it that even Sam at this point. So I will take it as a compliment. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Sam's never been able to effectively babysit me. Neither has Jack." Dean said with a wicked grin. Because he knew the ways around his brothers. "Okay, fine, I'll stay put. Promise." Making it seem like it was a big deal for him to stay put, even if even he doubted he'd make it to the door!"Good thing. I would hate to have to get your father to pick you up again." She teased as she made her way out, looking up at John as they passed in the door way. "Nice to see you again." She said and continued on.

"Hey Dad." Dean said. He couldn't get over it, really. His dad was here. In the flesh. Not a day older than he was the last time Dean saw him. When things were still quasi normal. At least normal for Winchesters at any case. Which just made him want to get out of the hospital even more. Because the last time he'd been in the hospital while his father was alive...in a blink his father was dead.

John smiled at his son. "Hey, how ya feeling?" He asked as he took his seat beside the bed once more. "I see she got you to tow the line there."

"I'm...good."Dean said with a chuckle. "Well, she's bribing me with sex. She doesn't know that yet, but she is." He said with a laugh. "How are things since...I don't know...escaping from hell and all?"

"Surreal." John admitted. "It seems like ... well it could have been yesterday down there or a hundred years. So it's strange to see you here with an almost grown daughter... Bobby... my god he's still kicking, even if a little wobbly. It just doesn't seem entirely real yet."

"She's not almost grown. She just thinks she's almost grown." Dean said with a chuckle. "The Impala is still up and running too. So..uh...about you and Ben...going to keep yelling at each other?"

"Maybe... that doesn't just depend on me. " John said. "I get sick and tired of being blamed for things I had no say in." He pointed out then sighed. "So... tell me about what has happened since ... since I saw you last."

"Well, we found Jack. Sam ran off, convinced he was going all darkside. He hooked up with a priest, an exorcist, who showed him the ropes and helped him hold on. I screwed every stripper of Ben's worth screwing, and the waitresses too. Looked for Sam. Did the hunts. Fell completely in love, and then she died. Mary's mom. Her name was Chavi. Oh, and I flew on a plane. Sure,I was completely sedated and everything. Like B.A. in the A-Team. Guess that makes Sam Howling Mad Murdock." He said with a chuckle. "We shoved Sam's soul back into his body, Father Pavel died. Sam still concentrates more on the exorcism part of everything, he converted to Catholicism. Then, he started adopting. Jack and Kaylie got married, they've been dating since they were eight. They have four kids. Bobby fell and broke his hip, so I dragged him down here to Texas...I guess a lot has happened."

John took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "So Ben has been a big factor in your life all this time. How does that work out with the demon hunting? Hell how does Jack deal with Bobby? Or does he not know?"

"He knows." Dean said. "He's okay now. He accepts that no one knew about his existence, or that he was even in the house. They don't exactly watch games together, but they can be in the same room and hold a conversation easily enough. And Ben? He does his thing, we do ours. He's not hunting humans, so he's off our radar. Used to be good enough for him. Oh, I'm sure it's not easy, especially when we kinda dragged Jack into it all on occasion, but he's dealing. He's just...protective and spoils Jack. Jack's a good man, Dad." Was it so wrong that Dean wanted his entire family to get along?

"I'm sure he is... you do... understand it, don't you, son? Why I didn't step up as his father?" John asked. Not all of his reasons were selfish no matter what Ben and Jack seemed to thing.

"Well, for one, Ben didn't give you a choice in the matter." Dean said. "He takes his promises very seriously. Two, he would have been in a whole lot more danger with us, than he was away from us. I don't understand why Sam and I didn't know about it until, well, until we did. That's what I don't get."

"Even if I could find a way to tell you, without reminding you of everything that had happened to you... would you have been willing to let it go? To not know your kid brother?" John asked. "His first assumption was that I was one of the bad men... thats how he saw hunters then. Can't blame him really... that would have opened an entire emotional drama that none of you boys needed. "

"I still don't remember, Dad." Dean said. "It's Sam that might, maybe. Someday. I don't even know if he does now, we don't talk about it. Basically because I have nothing to add." He'd taken a good enough whack on the head to ensure that. "But I do know one thing, Dad. Whatever or however you did what you did when I was a kid...it's the real reason I haven't died yet. I'm sure of it. Bearkeeps pulling me back, every time." And at least he could say it aloud without sounding crazy. This was the man who had bound him to the totem after all.

"I'm glad. I had hoped that was how things would be... When I performed the ritual that Christmas... I didn't know what totem would come to you when I called. I couldn't have hoped for better than Bear. "

"She sounds like Mom." Dean confided. "Probablyintentional, or at least subconscious on my part. How'd you do it? Raise me and Sam? You never looked like you doubted yourself, not once. I get up in the morning and wonder if the decisions I made yesterday have screwed them up irreparably."

"Oh I didn't wonder... I knew... I knew that everything I was doing was screwing you up some how. That I was not the best father I could be any more. I just didn't know what else to do about it. I had to keep us moving. Had to keep Sam off the radar because I was sure the next time that son of a bitch found us, he would kill us and take Sam with him. "

"Dad, you did fine. Whether you chose this life or not, we were thrust into it. No one's fault. But we know how to survive in it now. How to make it our own. You can't do better than that." Dean said.

"I don't know. You and Sam seem to be doing better. Mary is a great kid. I haven't met Sam's boys or your youngest daughter, but she has a head on her shoulders. She tells me Sam's oldest apparently has a killer right hook. "

"Oh Kevin? Hell yeah." Dean said. "He's a Winchester, if by environment only. Seems to be enough. Kid's gonna make one hell of a hunter when he grows up. Which is what he wants to be."

"That surprises me." John said honestly."That Sam raises his children to hunt. He always hated it so much. " He figure that Dean didn't raise his to be hunters because he had daughters. Other than Ellen most women that were hunters were broken in ways that no man could understand.

"He did a lot of soul searching. He didn't hate hunting, he hated not being normal. Then he figured out what I knew all along. Normal doesn't exist." Dean said. "What we've got is fine. Course it's weird sometimes, being all settled down. SometimesI miss the road."

"Only sometimes... that's good.. means most of the time you like things the way they are. It looks like you are having a good life... so the nurse... is she a permenant fixture?"

"She's a permanent fixture." Dean said with a grin. "Don't get me wrong. I loved Chavi. I still do. But...she's not here. I am." Weird discussion, seeing as his father had never moved on, not really, after his mother was killed.

"I like her. She's fiesty. your mother was feisty." John said with a smile. John had tried moving on once. But then he hadn't been able to accept Maggie for what she was. Hadn't understood. It had come out too soon... too early.

"Chavi was fiesty." Dean said with a fond smile. "Rachel was fiesty in her own way. And Kaylie? You haven't met Kaylie yet. I guess attraction to that sort runs in the Winchester blood."

"That it does. You didn't get to know your grandmother. But my mother was something else. It definitely runs in the family."

"Because they're the only ones that will put up with us." Dean said. "If Kaylie gives you a chance," and it wasn't set in stone that she would, she was overprotective of his youngest brother, "you'll like her. You would have liked Rachel and Chavi. Even if they both would have given you just as much shit as they gave us."

"Don't worry. I can put up with a lot from a woman who loves one of my boys. Especially since none of them know the whole picture. Don't get me wrong. I know I screwed up in more ways than I could ever make up for. It's just very hard to sit and take it from a demon right now. I don't care how warm and fuzzy he has been to everyone here." Especially when that demon blamed him for things that the demon himself had set in motion.

"Warm?I guess. Being a fire demon and all. Fuzzy? Nope. Not ever really." Dean said. "If Sam and I have to choose, it's easy. Just be careful with the rest of them, you know?"

"I'm not here to make anyone choose, Son. And if Ben and I start arguing, that has nothing to do with you and Sam. I'd like to think it didn't have anything to do with Jack but I don't think Jack will let it be that way. you see... that Demon and I... we've both lost too much. Had people we've loved ripped out of our hands long before we were ready to let go... right now I guess we're both afraid to give an inch cause it will shut us out of your brother's life." He could understand Ben. Which should have given him the cold horrors, or at least a severe case of indigestion. But it didn't.

"That's because he's part human, Dad." Dean reminded him. "Easy to forget most of the time, what with his complete lack of people skills. But trust me, in no way will I ever infere that two men are fighting over me. Because that's just wrong."

John had to laugh then. "Only you could take this to that level." He said, shaking his head "Well, some things have never changed. Does poor Caitlin know what she is getting into with you?"

"Poor Caitlin?" Dean said. "Poor Dean. Because Caitlin coerced him into getting a new IV. Guilt tripped him on other points and even has him talking about himself in the third person. So none of that poor Caitlin stuff."

John raised an eyebrow. "Maybe I should send her flowers." John said as Caitlin re-entered the room as if on cue. "Ah, so is this why my ears were burning all the way back up here. "

"And here comes my favorite torturer now."' Dean said with a grin as Caitlin brought the blood in to hook up to him. "I'm starting to become paranoid, might be the blood loss." He teased. "But a lot of people are joining the Deansit."

"Good. I have a feeling we are going to need every one of them." She teased in return. She set up the machine and connected the blood to hisIV and got things rolling.

He rolled his eyes. "Hey, I'm only 'one' of the most difficult patients you guys had ever had." He pointed out. "Your words. So obviously I'm not even that bad." He also neglected to point out that technically this wasn't even her floor.

"Yeah I know, baby, but you see... I got called in special to make sure you were a good boy. You have people fooled enough around here that they think it's possible." She teased.

Dean laughed. "See, Dad," he said, "Some of these people think I'm just charming and everything. ANd some have the right idea that I'm a perfect angel."

"Has he always read into what people say like that?" Caitlin asked John. "I don't recall saying they thought he was a perfect angel... Maybe I should have the doctor come and see if he has a concussion from that fall he took trying to escape."

"Hey!" Dean said, mock offended. "Do I really have to remind you that you thought I was adorable? And that I'm a favorite among the volunteers when they bring the newspapers and everything?"

"That's because I come from a long line of idiot men. I'm probably the only woman in the world you seem normal to... and the volunteers like you becauseyou smile and flirt with them."

Dean chuckled. He was a flirt by nature. Everyone was a potential participant, at least Caitlin didn't freak out about that. Probably because just because he flirted didn't mean he was taking them home. And the volunteers were in Mary's age bracket on top of that!

"Yeah well, I can make a case for coming from a long line of idiot men myself." He said with a grin toward his father.

"I wouldn't say it was that long a line of idiots." John said with a chuckle. "And you have the time to get better, and insurance. So you should keep your ass in that bed until you are better. " He pointed out.

Dean sighed. "You're not helping, Dad." He said with a roll of his eyes. "Really not helping. Was hoping for a little back up here you know. Since Sam and Jack have revealed their traitorous streaks and switched sides on me."

"YeahI know. It must be horrible for you, having people give a damn and all. But I think you will survive it, Son. " John said."See... I think I could like your dad." Caitlin said. "Not that anyone is going to believe for a moment he is your father. "

"You're all a bunch of traitors." Dean grumbled. "Yeah, they won't. What with him being the same age as he was when he died twenty years ago and all. Bobby thought he was cracking up and slipping into senility, poor guy." Bobby's mind was as sharp as it ever was, it was just his body that was breaking down. Senility scared the old hunter.

"Yeah, and when he figured out he wasn't losing it, he watered down my coffee with holy water. " John said with a chuckle. "We'll sort it out." He said.

"I definitely come from a crazy family." Dean said with a laugh as he watched the blood trip. "Can this go any faster? It seems to be going kinda slow."

"Sure, if you still wanna kill yourself." Caitlin said. "So don't even think about speeding it up. You are in this bed attached to the red stuff for 8 hours. "

Dean sighed and rested his head against his pillow. "Nice." He said. "Okay, so, Dad...wow...back from the dead Dad. Straight out of Hell Dad. I'm...wow. So...this is...weird. ARe you okay? I mean...hell."

"I'm alright." He said. "Haven't had time to process it all yet really. Don't know that I will... don't really know if I am here for the duration or for just a little while. I wasn't the one that made the deal... Maggie was."

Dean kept his eyes fixed on the ceiling. He still had a lot of issues with Maggie. Even the mere mention of her name. Brought back images he didn't want brought back, to be truthful. "So why'd she do it? Any idea?"

"Said I would be needed to keep you boys alive... and that included her son." John said with a sigh. "So... she is taking my place." He wasn't sure how he felt about that really.

Dean shook his head. He felt bad, really. Because it was another issue for Jack. "Well, can't say I'm exactly upset about that." He said. "But let's see if we can keep that from Jack."

"That was the plan. In fact I don't think it needs to go any further than the three of us here." John said. "But knowing Maggie, who knows what sort of deal it was. Not that I am complaining. Worst case scenerio it's a vacation for a while. Get to see my sons... my grandchildren. Damn... now there is something to throw a guy for a loop.8 grandchildren. 4 if Jack isn't willing to.. you know... accept me. Still... you boys with kids of your own. Gotta say, not surprised that you are a good father."

"You think so?" Dean asked. He wasn't sure. His kids weren't in jail, that was a good sign, right? But he knew they could be quite messed up and just hiding it. He had constant doubts that any one of his decisions could damage them in some way.

"I haven't met the youngest one yet, but Mary," his eyes watered a little at the name choice, "ahm... She loves you. Not just a little either. She's a good kid. Bright, well spoken, respectful even when calling me on my bullshit." He added the last with a chuckle. "Besides... I know how well you did with Sam."

"Well, if you ever left the hospital, you would have met Tessa. Now that I'm awake, Mary will probably be bringing her in." Dean said. He shrugged at the insistence that he raised Sam. Why did everyone always say that? Dad was there too!

"Yeah well, this was where I needed to be. Some one had to be able to run Sam out of here to get some sleep. " He said. "I'm looking forward to meeting her, and Sam's boys. "

"You will. Don't worry." Dean said. "It's good to have you back."

A/N the end of another story. Thank you to everyone who has stayed with us through the story so far. We are toying with how to handle the aftermath of it all, but for now, as with all good stories, it must come to an end.

Keep watching for "the sins of the Father" which is the next installment. However other stories are in the works first

EverFaithful and Strange Oblivion


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